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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2025–02–17
nine papers chosen by Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca |
| By: | TSURUMI Tetsuya; MIZOBUCHI Hideyuki; KUMAGAI Junya; MANAGI Shunsuke |
| Abstract: | In discussions of "Beyond GDP, " it has been pointed out that GDP, which is used as a proxy indicator of economic wealth, does not necessarily lead to an increase in subjective well-being. Therefore, the importance of factors other than GDP is being debated. This study focuses on education and health, which are indicators of human capital that have recently garnered attention; in addition to income, which is a proxy indicator of economic wealth. Using survey data targeting individuals, the study measures the differences in subjective well-being between individuals, given their levels of income, education, and health. Previous research has revealed differences in "happiness efficiency" across countries. However, in assessing the determinants of "happiness efficiency, " prior research has only examined differences in terms of age, gender, economic situation, and social capital. Considering the discussion around planetary boundaries, a concept related to the environmental limits on the Earth, the current consumption levels in developed countries are unsustainable. Therefore, the issue of "how to increase happiness with limited resources" becomes crucial. This study not only measures individuals' "happiness efficiency" but also aims to identify factors that enhance it, in order to explore ways to increase subjective wellbeing while achieving sustainable development. The determinants of "happiness efficiency" that this study examines include the factors listed in the "OECD Better Life Index" as well as "non-materialistic perspectives.". The analysis revealed that improvements in work styles, a non-materialistic mindset and the presence of natural capital significantly increase "happiness efficiency." |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:25004 |
| By: | KUMAGAI Junya; YOO Sunbin; MANAGI Shunsuke |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of migration between urban and rural areas on well-being, with a focus on overall life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction. Although previous research has established that migration to areas with declining population often reduces subjective well-being, little is known about how such urban-rural migration affects satisfaction across specific life domains. Using data from an online survey conducted among individuals in Japan, we find that migration to urban areas improves overall life satisfaction, resulting in a 7.39% higher life satisfaction compared to those who remain in rural areas. Additionally, such migration increases satisfaction in domains including jobs and wages, childcare, elderly care, and opportunities to meet people. In contrast, migration to rural areas does not improve well-being in domains such as environmental, security, and community satisfaction, which is hypothesized as advantages of migration to declining cities. Contrary to the common belief that people staying in rural areas have lower satisfaction with education and health than urban migrants, our findings reveal no significant disparity in these domains. By shedding light on domain-specific satisfaction, overall, our findings highlight the pronounced benefits of migration to urban areas. These results underscore the urgency for declining cities to improve their standards in these key domains to ensure long-term sustainability. |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:25013 |
| By: | Matthieu Crozet (RITM - Réseaux Innovation Territoires et Mondialisation - Université Paris-Saclay); Laura Hering (Erasmus University Rotterdam); Sandra Poncet (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Abstract: | Abstract Export growth affects individuals through numerous and contradictory channels. In China, the development of exports has promoted economic development and income growth, but it has also disrupted social structures and work environments. This paper explores the overall effect of exports on perceived well-being by combining responses from a large longitudinal survey covering over 45, 000 Chinese with a shift-share measure of local export opportunities. Results show that individuals' perceived life satisfaction increases significantly in prefectures that benefited from greater export opportunities, despite a negative effect on self-reported health. The positive well-being gains go beyond a simple income effect. These non-monetary gains are related to the individuals' professional life: export-related well-being gains are stronger for working-age individuals (especially men and low-skilled workers), are largest for workers in the manufacturing sector (which produces the vast majority of China's exports), and are found when the satisfaction indicator focuses on work but not on other aspects of daily life. |
| Keywords: | Happiness Export opportunities Globalization China. JEL codes: F61 F66 I31 J28, Happiness, Export opportunities, Globalization, China |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-04505684 |
| By: | BENCZUR Peter (European Commission - JRC); BOSKOVIC Ana (European Commission - JRC); GIOVANNINI Enrico; PAGANO Andrea (European Commission - JRC); SANDOR Alina-Mihaela (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | Announced in the 2023 Strategic Foresight Report of the Commission, the sustainable and inclusive wellbeing initiative recognizes the usefulness of GDP but also the need for complimentary indicators to fully capture all aspects of the quality of life, inclusiveness, and sustainability. One of its main objectives is to develop a multidimensional dashboard, which integrates existing tools and frameworks into a set of indicators that provide a holistic view of the wellbeing of people and the planet. This development involved a rigorous process in an inter-service working group, narrowing down over a thousand potential measures to a comprehensive dashboard of 140 and eventually 50 indicators. Besides documenting the process, this report presents some preliminary analyses based on the dashboard of 50 indicators and corresponding synthetic indices. The analysis shows that the state of wellbeing and its components in the European Union varies across Member States, presenting important examples of a decoupling of wellbeing from income. While there is a general correlation between economic prosperity and wellbeing, there are notable exceptions and trade-offs between different aspects of wellbeing. In times of renewed discussions around the need to boost EU’s competitiveness, the SIWB dashboard can be a central monitoring tool to make sure that reigniting Europe’s economic engine does not become an end in itself but rather a means for delivering wellbeing to all people of the current and future generations, and to the planet. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc140456 |
| By: | Perona, Mathieu |
| Abstract: | L’idée que les jeunes – catégorie souvent définie de manière floue – ont un rapport différent, plus distancié, au travail fait partie de ces idées aussi communes dans le discours ambiant que difficiles à rattacher à une source précise et fiable. Grâce à une enquête Opinion Way pour le compte de Kéa sur les représentations du travail des 16-45 ans, nous montrons au contraire une grande homogénéité tant dans la relation au travail que dans les priorités données au salaire et aux conditions de travail par rapport à l’autonomie ou à l’impact sur la société. |
| Keywords: | France, Well-Being, Travail, Bien-être, Aspirations |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpm:notobe:2413 |
| By: | Brynn Comes (Singapore American School, Singapore) |
| Abstract: | As social media has become commonplace, and influences thoughts and behaviors, one cannot help but wonder how social media causes shifts in the brain, specifically regarding mindset and emotions. This research paper was conducted to gather information on how different social media applications result in different emotions and behaviors. A survey that included 30 questions was conducted with a wide demographic of 95 participants, between the ages of 14 to 56. The survey evaluated how participants felt on a scale from 1 to 10 after using five social media websites: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter (X), and TikTok. This paper analyzes the data collected and compares how different social media applications contribute to forming different feelings. By examining the results from a wide perspective, the research suggests how to make negative emotions that stem from social media less prominent. The goal is to inform the public of better ways to use social media applications for overall well-being. |
| Keywords: | social media, thoughts, behaviors, brain, mindset, emotions, feelings, loneliness, wellbeing, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Confidence, Facebook |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0481 |
| By: | Javier Soria-Espin (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Enrique Chueca Montuenga (Future Policy Lab); Bernardino León-Reyes (CERI - Centre de recherches internationales (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | This report examines the limitations of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the main economic indicator and proposes complementary measures to improve the measurement of well-being in relation to two major challenges: inequality and climate change. It does so focusing on the case study of Spain. GDP, traditionally used to estimate the output and income generated in an economy, does not capture crucial factors such as income distribution, the environmental impact of economic activities, and unpaid work, resulting in an incomplete representation of economic well-being. To better measure inequality, it is proposed to use the "Real-Time Inequality" methodology to obtain monthly statistics on the distribution of income and wealth growth, expand access to administrative microdata, and use indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Genuine Progress Index (GPI). Regarding climate change, the importance of integrating environmental statistics to measure the impact of productive activities on natural assets is highlighted. It is suggested to improve the capacities of the National Institute of Statistics (INE) to produce more detailed and frequent environmental statistics, as well as to implement international standards to measure these impacts. In addition, the practice of budget climate labeling is recommended in order to prioritize public spending on climate policies, thus facilitating more efficient planning and allocation of economic resources. |
| Abstract: | Este informe examina las limitaciones del Producto Interior Bruto (PIB) como principal indicador económico y propone medidas complementarias para mejorar la medición del bienestar en relación con dos retos importantes: la desigualdad y el cambio climático. El PIB, tradicionalmente utilizado para estimar la producción y las rentas generadas en una economía, no captura factores cruciales como la distribución del ingreso, el impacto medioambiental de las actividades económicas y el trabajo no remunerado, lo cual resulta en una representación incompleta del bienestar económico. Para medir mejor la desigualdad, se propone utilizar la metodología "Real-Time Inequality" para obtener estadísticas mensuales sobre la distribución del crecimiento de la renta y la riqueza, ampliar el acceso a microdatos administrativos y emplear indicadores como el Índice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH) y el Índice de Progreso Genuino (IPG). En cuanto al cambio climático, se destaca la importancia de integrar estadísticas medioambientales que permitan medir el impacto de las actividades productivas en los activos naturales. Se sugiere mejorar las capacidades del Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) para elaborar estadísticas ambientales más detalladas y frecuentes, así como implementar estándares internacionales para medir estos impactos. Además, se recomienda la práctica de etiquetado climático presupuestario para priorizar el gasto público en políticas climáticas, facilitando así una planificación y asignación de recursos económicos más eficiente |
| Abstract: | Ce rapport examine les limites du produit intérieur brut (PIB) en tant que principal indicateur économique et propose des mesures complémentaires pour améliorer la mesure du bien-être face à deux défis majeurs : les inégalités et le changement climatique. Il le fait en se concentrant sur l'étude de cas de l'Espagne. Le PIB, traditionnellement utilisé pour estimer la production et les revenus générés dans une économie, ne tient pas compte de facteurs cruciaux tels que la répartition des revenus, l'impact environnemental des activités économiques et le travail non rémunéré, ce qui donne une représentation incomplète du bien-être économique. Pour mieux mesurer les inégalités, il est proposé d'utiliser la méthodologie "Inégalité en temps réel" afin d'obtenir des statistiques mensuelles sur la distribution de la croissance des revenus et de la richesse, d'élargir l'accès aux micro-données administratives et d'utiliser des indicateurs tels que l'indice de développement humain (IDH) et l'indice de progrès véritable (IPV). En ce qui concerne le changement climatique, l'importance de l'intégration des statistiques environnementales pour mesurer l'impact des activités productives sur les actifs naturels est soulignée. Il est suggéré d'améliorer les capacités de l'Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) à produire des statistiques environnementales plus détaillées et plus fréquentes, ainsi que de mettre en œuvre des normes internationales pour mesurer ces impacts. En outre, la pratique de l'étiquetage climatique du budget est recommandée pour donner la priorité aux dépenses publiques en matière de politiques climatiques, facilitant ainsi une planification et une allocation plus efficaces des ressources économiques. |
| Keywords: | GDP, Spain, inequality, climate change |
| Date: | 2023–10–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-04669166 |
| By: | George Beknazar-Yuzbashev; Rafael Jiménez-Durán; Jesse McCrosky; Mateusz Stalinski |
| Abstract: | Most social media users have encountered harassment online, but there is scarce evidence of how this type of toxic content impacts engagement. In a pre-registered browser extension field experiment, we randomly hid toxic content for six weeks on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Lowering exposure to toxicity reduced advertising impressions, time spent, and other measures of engagement, and reduced the toxicity of user-generated content. A survey experiment provides evidence that toxicity triggers curiosity and that engagement and welfare are not necessarily aligned. Taken together, our results suggest that platforms face a trade-off between curbing toxicity and increasing engagement. |
| Keywords: | toxic content, moderation, social media, user engagement, browser experiment |
| JEL: | C93 D12 D83 D90 I31 L82 L86 M37 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11644 |
| By: | Laura Angresius; Milena Buchs; Alessia Greselin; Daniel W. O'Neill |
| Abstract: | Providing wellbeing for all while safeguarding planetary boundaries may require governments to pursue post-growth policies. Previous empirical studies of sustainable wellbeing initiatives investigating enablers of and barriers to post-growth policymaking are either based on a small number of empirical cases or lack an explicit analytical framework. To better understand how post-growth policymaking could be fostered, we investigate 29 initiatives across governance scales in Europe, New Zealand, and Canada. We apply a framework that distinguishes polity, politics, and policy to analyze the data. We find that the main enablers and barriers relate to the economic growth paradigm, the organization of government, attitudes towards policymaking, political strategies, and policy tools and outcomes. Engaging in positive framings of post-growth visions to change narratives and building broad-based alliances could act as drivers. However, initiatives face a tension between the need to connect to broad audiences and a risk of co-optation by depolitization. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2501.17600 |