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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2026–03–09
six papers chosen by Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca |
| By: | Burger, Martijn (Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization, Erasmus University Rotterdam); Courchesne, Sarah (Open Universiteit); Greyling, Talita (University of Johannesburg); O'Connor, Kelsey (STATEC Research – National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies); Rossouw, Stephanie (Auckland University of Technology); Sarracino, Francesco (STATEC Research – National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies); Veenhoven, Ruut (Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization, Erasmus University Rotterdam) |
| Abstract: | Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has long been used as a proxy for human progress, despite growing recognition of its limitations. Recently, numerous "beyond GDP" initiatives have emerged, promoting multidimensional dashboards to assess quality of life. However, these often lack a clear headline indicator, limiting their usefulness for policymaking and public communication. This paper argues for placing subjective well-being (SWB) at the center of progress measurement in dashboards. SWB captures the overall impact of life conditions on people's lived experiences and offers a clear, outcome-oriented metric aligned with what truly matters: a good life. We explore how SWB can serve as a headline indicator, complemented by measures of the conditions that support it, to improve policy relevance, accountability, and legitimacy. We also address key measurement challenges and propose ways to overcome them for more effective integration into decision-making frameworks. |
| Keywords: | beyond GDP, quality of life, measures, subjective well-being |
| JEL: | I31 D60 O10 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18383 |
| By: | Stefano Bartolini; Laëtitia Dillenseger |
| Abstract: | Although global data on subjective well-being (SWB) among children and adolescents remain limited, evidence from high-income countries highlights a mounting crisis in youth well-being and mental health. In recent years, there has been growing global interest in the study of children’s well-being, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, available time-series evidence suggests that the youth well-being crisis began long before the pandemic. To date, research has primarily concentrated on the intrinsic mechanisms influencing children’s well-being, as well as on the family, social, and cultural factors that may shape it (Xu et al., 2024). Despite this, there is limited understanding of how broader structural dynamics affect children’s well-being. In this work, first we provide a review of the evidence on the youth well-being and mental health crisis. Second, we argue that youth have experienced a revolution in their time use and living environment in HICs since the 1980s. Children’s daily lives have shifted away from unstructured play and peer-based face-to-face interactions, toward home-centered, screen-based and adult-supervised activities. Moreover, over time, kids, and teens have faced more commercial and performance pressure, and have lost autonomy. Third, we review the literature on the impact of these changes on youth’ well-being. . We then discuss the policy reforms needed to address these structural changes. In particular, we argue that urban planning, education systems, advertising, and the climate crisis play a critical role in shaping children’s social experiences and well-being. We conclude by emphasizing the need for ambitious reforms in these areas to restore youth time, expand opportunities for independent experiences, and safeguard its social lives and well-being. |
| Keywords: | Youth well-being, subjective well-being, mental health, time use, High income countries, structural change. Jel Classification: I31, I18, I20, I38 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usi:wpaper:940 |
| By: | Santiago Burone;; Koen Decancq; |
| Abstract: | When individual preferences are incomplete, the information available for well-being measurement is interval-valued rather than point-identified. We show that in this case, well-being measurement involves an unavoidable normative choice: any procedure that delivers policy-relevant complete rankings must resolve incomparability in a substantive way. We axiomatically characterize wellbeing measures under incomplete preferences and show that any measure satisfying four natural axioms must aggregate the bounds using a Hurwicz criterion indexed by a parameter that governs the weight placed on the upper bound. We then use survey data from 2, 050 Dutch adults to document that incomplete preferences over income, health, and social relations are empirically prevalent. Different resolutions of incompleteness have first-order distributive consequences. In particular, evaluating individuals at the lower bound systematically prioritizes those with the most incomplete preferences rather than those with the lowest outcomes: only 42 percent of individuals in the bottom decile under the lower-bound approach remain there under the upper-bound approach, and measured inequality varies by up to five Gini points. Measuring well-being under incomplete preferences therefore requires explicit normative choices about how interval-valued information is aggregated. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2601 |
| By: | Ken-Ichi Akao; Stefano Bartolini |
| Abstract: | Over the past half century in the US, substantial economic growth coexisted with increasing inequality, and the erosion of social capital and well-being. Currently, no comprehensive explanations is available for such paradoxical mix of brilliant eco- nomic performance and social crises. We present a simple endogenous growth model showing that economic growth, the decline of social capital and well-being, and rising well-being inequality can be interconnected, mutually reinforcing phenomena. This type of growth can be described as defensive because it arises from the expendi- tures of households aimed at defending themselves against growth-related negative externalities, thus fostering economic growth. Defensive growth leads to a loss of well-being in the long run because, beyond a certain level of output, private pros- perity is no longer able to compensate for social poverty. Along a defensive growth path, the decline of social capital disproportionately weighs on the well-being of low- income households, because of their relatively lower capacity to finance defensive spending. This prediction is consistent with the evidence showing that over the past 50 years the loser of the "pursuit of happiness" stated in the American Constitution is the working class. |
| Keywords: | Defensive growth, social capital, relative consumption Jel Classification: O41, I31, D31, Z13 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usi:wpaper:941 |
| By: | Leogrande, Angelo; Arnone, Massimo; Drago, Carlo; Costantiello, Alberto; Anobile, Fabio |
| Abstract: | The paper aims to investigate the determinants of the Perceived Risk of Crime (PRC) in Italian regions for the period 2004-2022, with data provided by the ISTAT-BES framework. The analysis relies on a regional panel dataset, which is somewhat unbalanced, with an extensive set of socio-institutional, crime, and subjective well-being variables, such as social participation, trust in people, trust in the judiciary, pickpocketing, fear of crime, life satisfaction, pessimism about the future, and dissatisfaction with the regional landscape. The analysis combines classical panel data methodologies with machine learning techniques to check the robustness of the results and to detect regional latent patterns. In all models, namely, fixed effects, random effects, dynamic panel, and weighted least squares, it is confirmed that objective crime variables, as well as subjective ones, play a crucial role in determining PRC. In particular, it is confirmed that, among the variables, pickpocketing and fear of crime are the most important positive determinants of PRC, while trust in people and trust in the judiciary have a significant mitigating effect on PRC. Variables concerning pessimism about the future and environmental dissatisfaction are also confirmed to have a positive effect on PRC. Among several machine learning alternatives, the regularized linear regression model is selected as the best-performing predictive model, which provides an interpretable and accurate representation of the relationships between the variables. In addition, model-based clustering allows us to detect different regional profiles characterized by different combinations of crime, trust, well-being, and security perceptions. In conclusion, the results confirm that PRC in Italian regions depends on the complex interaction between actual crime, emotional reactions, trust, and quality of life, suggesting that effective policies to address PRC should be based on the integrated action of crime control strategies, trust-building, social cohesion, and quality of the regional landscape. |
| Date: | 2026–02–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:rd2sv_v1 |
| By: | Yana Rodgers; Lisa Schur; Flora Hammond; Renee Edwards; Jennifer Cohen; Douglas Kruse |
| Abstract: | Purpose. This paper examines the extent to which job satisfaction, requests for accommodations, and the likelihood of a request being granted vary by disability status. We further analyze whether being granted workplace accommodations moderates the relationship between work satisfaction and disability. Methods. We use a novel survey of healthcare workers centered on disability status, perceptions of work experiences, and the provision of accommodations. The data are used in a descriptive analysis and multiple regressions to examine the moderating effect of accommodations on the relationship between disability and indicators related to job satisfaction. Results. Results show that people with disabilities have more negative perceptions of their work experiences than people without disabilities. Although people with disabilities are more likely to request accommodations than people without disabilities, they are equally likely to have their requests wholly or partly granted. Regression results indicate that the negative relationships between disability status and most measures of work experience are largely eliminated when accounting for the disposition of accommodation requests. The main exception is turnover intentions, in which the adverse relationship with having a disability does not change even when an accommodation is granted. Partly granting accommodations is helpful only for some metrics of job experience. Conclusion. Our paper shows that fully granting accommodations can go a long way to closing the disability gap in job satisfaction between people with and without disabilities. |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2602.20327 |