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Happiness in Europe

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  • Pedersen, Peder J.
  • Schmidt, Torben Dall

Abstract

Data in the European Community Household Panel are used to analyse the impact on self-reported satisfaction from a number of economic and demographic variables. The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion of the relationship between life satisfaction and income utilizing also the panel property of the data. We find an impact from the level of income only for a group of Southern European countries. For the same group of countries the difference between individual and average change in income has a significant impact on satisfaction. For all countries in the panel we find a significant impact from the change in the individual income situation over the last year. We find a strong impact from changes in labour force status and a strong negative impact on satisfaction from being unemployed and a somewhat weaker impact from being outside the labour force. Further, the level of and change in self-reported health has a strong impact on satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedersen, Peder J. & Schmidt, Torben Dall, 2011. "Happiness in Europe," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 480-489.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:40:y:2011:i:5:p:480-489
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2010.10.004
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    Cited by:

    1. Giuseppina Guagnano & Elisabetta Santarelli & Isabella Santini, 2016. "Can Social Capital Affect Subjective Poverty in Europe? An Empirical Analysis Based on a Generalized Ordered Logit Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(2), pages 881-907, September.
    2. Ángeles Sánchez-Domínguez & Maria J. Ruiz Martos, 2013. "Europe 2020 strategy: a strategy for which type of growth?," ThE Papers 13/11, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    3. Helena Marques & Gabriel Pino & J.D. Tena, 2013. "Do happiness indexes truly reveal happiness? Measuring happiness using revealed preferences from migration flows," DEA Working Papers 59, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Departament d'Economía Aplicada.
    4. Pedersen, Peder J. & Schmidt, Torben Dall, 2014. "Life Events and Subjective Well-being: The Case of Having Children," IZA Discussion Papers 8207, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Qinglong Shao, 2022. "Exploring the promoting effect of working time reduction on life satisfaction using Germany as a case study," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    6. A. l. Moro-Egido & M. Navarro & A. Sánchez, 2022. "Changes in Subjective Well-Being Over Time: Economic and Social Resources do Matter," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 2009-2038, June.
    7. Tim Pawlowski & Christoph Breuer & Jorge Leyva, 2011. "Sport Opportunities and Local Well-being: Is Sport a Local Amenity?," Chapters, in: Plácido Rodríguez & Stefan Késenne & Brad R. Humphreys (ed.), The Economics of Sport, Health and Happiness, chapter 12, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Raquel Justo & Emilio Congregado & Concepción Román, 2021. "Becoming self-employed from inactivity: an in-depth analysis of satisfaction," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 145-187, January.
    9. Ana I. Moro Egido & Maria Navarro & Ángeles Sánchez-Domínguez, 2017. "Changes in Subjective Well-Being Over Time in Germnay," ThE Papers 17/05, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    10. Helena Marques & Gabriel Pino & J. D. Tena, 2018. "Voting with your feet: migration flows and happiness," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 163-187, June.
    11. Fabio Zagonari, 2016. "Which Attitudes Will Make us Individually and Socially Happier and Healthier? A Cross-Culture and Cross-Development Analytical Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2527-2554, December.
    12. Orlowski, Johannes & Wicker, Pamela, 2015. "The monetary value of social capital," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 26-36.
    13. Bodor, Ákos & Grünhut, Zoltán & Horeczki, Réka, 2015. "Socio-cultural Cleavages in Europe," MPRA Paper 73961, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Satisfaction; Income; Labour market status; Health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy

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