Lhasa residents look at a photo exhibition that displays the local people's well-being October 12, 2011. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

How many Chinese are really happy, and just what accounts for people's sense of happiness? Well a national survey of people's economic situation and their sense of happiness intends to answer these questions.

The 2011 Survey of Economic Lifestyles, carried out by China Central Television (CCTV), will take a look at Chinese consumption habits, investments, economic situation, and lifestyle under the heading "Touching the real China".

In short, it wants to get at the root of people's happiness, especially from an economic angle.

The survey began this month, using postcards as the means of inquiry. It will cover 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and is expected to reach 100,000 families on the mainland, according to the organizers.

"The survey represents the basic situation of ordinary people in China and provides the most comprehensive data base for future policies and commercial decisions," explained Jiang Shiming, producer of the CCTV's survey program.

Jiang was speaking last week at the survey's launch ceremony in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, which captured the "2010 City with the Happiest People" award, in last year's survey.

Lhasa claimed the "happiest" city title for the fourth time.

This is the sixth consecutive year for the CCTV survey, which was introduced in 2006. The focus this year is on the "sense of happiness of ordinary people", Jiang said.

It will survey the things that affect happiness, trying to find various sources of happiness in different places and in different economic estates.

The survey will also collect stories about familial happiness from all across the nation - a new move of this year's investigation.

"We hope that every family can pursue their own path to happiness, which is also one aim of the survey," Jiang went on to explain.

Results are expected to reflect ordinary people's real feelings and perceptions of the economic changes that have taken place over the past year.

"We've mapped out an economic development curve over the past five years through the survey and hope that it can continue for the next five, or 15 years, or even longer, follow the trail of China's economic development. There's no doubt that it will be very important for any research on China's economic development and for future laws," Jiang added.

This is the country's largest non-governmental survey to be done by the media and is organized by CCTV's financial channel, the National Statistics Bureau, and the China Postal Group Corp.