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Happiness and sex difference in life expectancy

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  • Junji Kageyama

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of happiness on the sex gap in life expectancy. Utilizing a cross-country data set, it first inspects the reverse effect of the life expectancy gap on happiness and demonstrates that the life expectancy gap negatively affects happiness through the composition of marital status. Taking this reverse causality into account, it shows that happiness is significant on explaining the differences in the life expectancy gap between countries. As national average happiness increases, the sex difference in life expectancy decreases. This is consistent with the findings that psychological stress (unhappiness)adversely affects survival and that the effect of psychological stress on mortality is more severe for men. This result provides an indirect evidence that happiness affects survival even at the national aggregate level.

Suggested Citation

  • Junji Kageyama, 2009. "Happiness and sex difference in life expectancy," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2009-009, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2009-009
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2009-009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Junji Kageyama, 2009. "Why do women in former communist countries look unhappy? A demographic perspective," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2009-032, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic and social development; life expectancy;

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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