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Analysis of subjective wellbeing in low-income transitional countries: evidence from comparative national surveys in Armenia,Azerbaijan and Georgia

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  • Nazim, Habibov
  • Elvin, Afandi

Abstract

Drawing on the comparative household surveys, this article examines subjective wellbeing in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, three low-income transitional countries located on the Caucasus. We found that economic factors explain a considerable part of the variation in subjective wellbeing. The results are significant and robust across all countries. Having a higher level of household income, university education and a larger number of people in household along with salary as a major income source positively affect subjective wellbeing. On the contrary, being unemployed or a migrant along with having social transfers as a major source of income negatively affect subjective wellbeing. Besides, subjective wellbeing is strongly associated with disagreement with the current direction of countries’development and withdrawal from discussing policy. We argue that analysis of subjective wellbeing can be used to enrich and validate the process of poverty analysis in the countries of the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Nazim, Habibov & Elvin, Afandi, 2009. "Analysis of subjective wellbeing in low-income transitional countries: evidence from comparative national surveys in Armenia,Azerbaijan and Georgia," MPRA Paper 42720, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:42720
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    Cited by:

    1. Justina Shiroka-Pula & Will Bartlett & Besnik A. Krasniqi, 2023. "Can the Government Make Us Happier? Institutional Quality and Subjective Well-Being Across Europe," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 677-696, April.
    2. Nazim N. Habibov, 2011. "Self‐perceived social stratification in low‐income transitional countries," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(1), pages 5-22, January.
    3. Nazim Habibov & Elvin Afandi, 2015. "Pre- and Post-crisis Life-Satisfaction and Social Trust in Transitional Countries: An Initial Assessment," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(2), pages 503-524, April.
    4. Armenak Antinyan, 2016. "Reference Group Income and Subjective Well-Being: Empirical Evidence from Low-Income Transition Economies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 1333-1348, July.
    5. Habibov, Nazim N. & Afandi, Elvin N., 2011. "Self-rated health and social capital in transitional countries: Multilevel analysis of comparative surveys in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(7), pages 1193-1204, April.
    6. Claypool, Emily & Ismayilova, Leyla, 2019. "A gender-focused analysis of structural and social precipitators to child institutionalization in Azerbaijan: A qualitative study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 262-269.
    7. Armenak Antinyan & Luca Corazzini, 2018. "Relative standing and temporary migration: Empirical evidence from the South Caucasus," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 361-383, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    poverty; inequality; living standards; welfare; social policy; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I39 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Other
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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