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Happiness, pride and elite sporting success: What population segments gain most from national athletic achievements?

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  • Kirstin Hallmann
  • Christoph Breuer
  • Benedikt Kühnreich

Abstract

► Of the respondents, 66.2% felt proud and 65.6 were happy when German athletes were successful at major events. ► Effects of elite sporting success vary based on particular socio-demographic characteristics. ► Several population segments benefit more: women, those with a low educational background and low income, and immigrants.Elite sports are widely considered by national governments as a merit good through which many benefits to society as whole can be fostered through the stimulation of ‘national pride’ and ‘happiness’ (or ‘wellbeing’). The aim of this paper is to analyze what factors influence perceived national pride and happiness when athletes succeed at major national and/or international competitions. Based on a nation-wide survey, data was collected from n = 2006 randomly selected Germans by means of a computer assisted telephone interview. The results reveal that 66.2% respondents felt proud and 65.6% respondents were happy when German athletes were successful at major events. National pride and happiness were significantly explained through interest in elite sports, sport participation and socio-economic variables. The results reveal that there are differences between the perception of pride and that of happiness. Women, individuals with a low educational background, and low income and individuals having a migration background are the population segments who gain most from the sporting success of elite athletes. The results show in particular that the funding of elite sports and elite athletes can be considered as policy tool for social integration.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirstin Hallmann & Christoph Breuer & Benedikt Kühnreich, 2013. "Happiness, pride and elite sporting success: What population segments gain most from national athletic achievements?," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 226-235, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rsmrxx:v:16:y:2013:i:2:p:226-235
    DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2012.07.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Henk Erik Meier & Michael Mutz, 2016. "Sport-Related National Pride in East and West Germany, 1992-2008," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(3), pages 21582440166, August.
    2. Vörös, Tünde, 2017. "Költség-haszon elemzési keretrendszer sportberuházások társadalmi-gazdasági értékeléséhez [An economic framework for cost-benefit analysis of sports facilities]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 394-420.
    3. Bernd Frick & Pamela Wicker, 2018. "The Monetary Value of Having a First Division Bundesliga Team to Local Residents," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 70(1), pages 63-103, February.
    4. Tim Pawlowski & Paul Downward & Simona Rasciute, 2014. "Does national pride from international sporting success contribute to well-being? An international investigation," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 121-132, April.
    5. Bruno S. Frey & Anthony Gullo, 2021. "Does Sports Make People Happier, or Do Happy People More Sports?," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 22(4), pages 432-458, May.
    6. Kristiansen, Elsa & Skirstad, Berit & Parent, Milena M. & Waddington, Ivan, 2015. "‘We can do it’: Community, resistance, social solidarity, and long-term volunteering at a sport event," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 256-267.
    7. Jang, Wonseok (Eric) & Wann, Daniel L. & Ko, Yong Jae, 2018. "Influence of team identification, game outcome, and game process on sport consumers’ happiness," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 63-71.
    8. Youngtaek Oh, 2025. "The Relationship Between Sports YouTube Engagement, Psychosocial Functions of Sport, and Well-Being: Moderating Effect of Kinesiology and Non-Kinesiology University Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(1), pages 21582440251, March.
    9. Gabriele Pinto, 2025. "Sports nationalism and xenophobia: When cheering turns into violence," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 62(3), pages 595-612, May.
    10. Dieudonné Mignamissi, Eric Xaverie Possi Tebeng, Aristophane Djeufack Dongmo, Laquintine Mama Nji Mboumbouo, 2025. "Sport and happiness: an evidence from football," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 22(1), pages 77-127, June.
    11. Gibson, Heather J. & Walker, Matthew & Thapa, Brijesh & Kaplanidou, Kyriaki & Geldenhuys, Sue & Coetzee, Willie, 2014. "Psychic income and social capital among host nation residents: A pre–post analysis of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 113-122.
    12. Kim, Jeeyoon & Kim, Yukyoum & Kim, Daehwan, 2017. "Improving well-being through hedonic, eudaimonic, and social needs fulfillment in sport media consumption," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 309-321.
    13. Haut, Jan, 2016. "International prestige through sporting success? Searching empirical evidence," Working Papers of the European Institute for Socioeconomics 17, European Institute for Socioeconomics (EIS), Saarbrücken.
    14. Michael Mutz, 2019. "Life Satisfaction and the UEFA EURO 2016: Findings from a Nation-Wide Longitudinal Study in Germany," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 375-391, April.

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