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Is It Possible to Raise National Happiness?

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  • Prati, Alberto

    (University College of London)

  • Senik, Claudia

    (Paris School of Economics)

Abstract

We revisit the famous Easterlin paradox by considering that life evaluation scales refer to a changing context, hence they are regularly reinterpreted. We propose a simple model of rescaling based on both retrospective and current life evaluations, and apply it to unexploited archival data from the USA. When correcting for rescaling, we find that the well-being of Americans has substantially increased, on par with GDP, health, education, and liberal democracy, from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Using several datasets, we shed light on other happiness puzzles, including the apparent stability of life evaluations during COVID-19, why Ukrainians report similar levels of life satisfaction today as before the war, and the absence of parental happiness.

Suggested Citation

  • Prati, Alberto & Senik, Claudia, 2026. "Is It Possible to Raise National Happiness?," IZA Discussion Papers 18536, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18536
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    2. Alberto Prati, 2025. "Evaluation 2 of "Adjusting for Scale-Use Heterogeneity in Self-Reported Well-Being"," The Unjournal Evaluations 2025-67, The Unjournal.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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