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Does transition make you happy?1

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  • Peter Sanfey
  • Utku Teksoz

Abstract

This paper analyses life satisfaction in transition countries using evidence from the World Values Survey. The paper demonstrates that individuals in transition economies on average record lower values of self‐reported satisfaction with life compared with those in non‐transition countries. A comparison across time for a smaller sample of countries shows that life satisfaction levels have returned close to pre‐transition levels in most cases, after a dip in the mid‐1990s. The socio‐economic groups that exhibit relatively higher levels of happiness include students, people with higher levels of education and those on higher incomes. Happiness declines with age until the early‐50s and is slow to recover afterwards. Self‐employed people in transition countries show a level of satisfaction as high as, or higher than, full‐time employees, in contrast to evidence from non‐transition countries. In addition, satisfaction levels are highest in those countries where standards of economic governance are most advanced and where inequality is lower.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Sanfey & Utku Teksoz, 2007. "Does transition make you happy?1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15(4), pages 707-731, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:etrans:v:15:y:2007:i:4:p:707-731
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0351.2007.00309.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Grosfeld, Irena & Senik, Claudia, 2008. "The Emerging Aversion to Inequality. Evidence from Poland 1992-2005," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 0805, CEPREMAP.
    2. Alícia Adserà & Francesca Dalla Pozza & Sergei Guriev & Lukas Kleine-Rueschkamp & Elena Nikolova, 2021. "Height and well-being during the transition from plan to market," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 36(105), pages 77-120.
    3. Lena Malesevic Perovic, 2010. "Life Satisfaction in Croatia," Croatian Economic Survey, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, vol. 12(1), pages 45-81, April.
    4. Shuang Liu & Yan Cao & Hao Zhang, 2023. "Online Education and Subjective Well-Being in China: Multiple Mediating Roles of Social Class Mobility and Social Tolerance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Popova, Olga, 2014. "Can religion insure against aggregate shocks to happiness? The case of transition countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 804-818.
    6. Călin Vâlsan & Elena Druică & Zizi Goschin & Rodica Ianole-Călin, 2024. "The Perception of Economic Growth and the Romanian “Mioritic Syndrome”," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 3718-3739, March.
    7. Maksym Obrizan, 2020. "Transition welfare gaps: One closed, another to follow?," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 621-635, October.
    8. Zsoka Koczan, 2022. "Perceptions of economic well‐being in the Western Balkans," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 845-867, October.
    9. Sergei Guriev & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2009. "(Un)happiness in Transition," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(2), pages 143-168, Spring.
    10. Lanh Thi Nguyen & Anh Nguyen-Quoc & Bui Thi Kim Dung, 2023. "Mapping the research on the legacy of socialism, individual attitudes, and entrepreneurship: a bibliometric analysis and future research agenda," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(4), pages 1419-1456, December.
    11. Nikolova, Elena & Sanfey, Peter, 2016. "How much should we trust life satisfaction data? Evidence from the Life in Transition Survey," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 720-731.
    12. Chiara Amini & Elodie Douarin, 2020. "Corruption and Life Satisfaction in Transition: Is Corruption a Social Norm in Eastern Europe?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 723-766, September.
    13. Ariel Herbert Fambeu & Georges Dieudonné Mbondo & Patricia Tchawa Yomi, 2022. "Bigger or better? The effect of public spending on happiness in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(4), pages 487-499, December.
    14. Elvisa Drishti & Zamira Shkreli & Edvin Zhllima & Blendi Gerdoçi, 2023. "Deprivation, Social Mobility Considerations, and Life Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of 33 European Countries," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(3), pages 511-550, September.
    15. Christian-Lambert Nguena & Honoré Tekam & Borice Augustin Ngounou & Sostella Arida TchoualaFeutsa, 2024. "Building Joyful cities: is urbanization always pave a path to happiness in Africa?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 847-874, December.
    16. Tiantian Dong & Xu Ye & Zhonggen Mao, 2024. "The effect of consumption inequality on subjective well-being: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(11), pages 1-20, November.
    17. Alnaa, Samuel Erasmus & Matey, Juabin, 2022. "Macroeconomic Policy Formulation: The Driver of Economic Welfare in Ghana," MPRA Paper 113041, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 11 Apr 2022.
    18. Vedran Recher, 2022. "History Matters: Life Satisfaction in Transition Countries," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 171-193, January.
    19. Steven B. Caudill & João Ricardo Faria & Franklin G. Mixon & Elliott H. Young, 2024. "Expropriation, money, and happiness: the impact of state theft in Russia," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 483-501, February.
    20. Jiří Večerník, 2014. "Subjektivní blahobyt v České republice a střední Evropě: makro- a mikro-determinanty [Subjective Well-Being in the Czech Republic and Central Europe: Macro- and Micro-Determinants]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(2), pages 249-269.
    21. Ngounou, Borice Augustin & Djiogag, Constant Fouopi & Domguia, Edmond Noubissi & Zanfack, Linda Tiague & Pondie, Thierry Messie, 2025. "Does fiscal decentralisation hamper happiness? Evidence from African countries," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).

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