Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness

The literature on the economics of happiness in developed economies finds discrepancies between reported measures of well-being and income measures. One is the so-called Easterlin paradox: that average happiness levels do not increase as countries...

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Main Author: Graham, Carol
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
en_US
Published: Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank 2013
Subjects:
GDP
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17591346/insights-development-economics-happiness
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16402
id okr-10986-16402
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCOUNTING
ATTRITION
AVERAGE INCOME
BARGAINING
BARGAINING POWER
BENCHMARKS
BOUNDED RATIONALITY
CAPITAL MARKETS
CIVIL WAR
COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS
COUNTRY DUMMY
CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS
CROSS-COUNTRY STUDY
CROSS-SECTION DATA
DEMOCRACY
DEMOGRAPHIC
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEVALUATIONS
DEVELOPED ECONOMIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DIMINISHING RETURNS
DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME
DISTRIBUTIONAL OUTCOMES
DRIVERS
EARNINGS LEVELS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC CRISIS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC OUTCOMES
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC POLICY
ECONOMIC PROGRESS
ECONOMIC REFORM
ECONOMIC RESEARCH
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMIC SITUATION
ECONOMIC STUDIES
ECONOMICS
EMERGING MARKET
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION
EQUITY ISSUES
EXTREME POVERTY
FINANCIAL CRISES
FINANCIAL CRISIS
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
FREE PRESS
FREE TRADE
FUTURE EARNINGS
FUTURE PROSPECTS
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GLOBAL MARKETS
GLOBALIZATION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT PER CAPITA
GROWTH PERIOD
HEALTH OUTCOMES
HIGH INFLATION
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
HUMAN RIGHTS
INCOME
INCOME DATA
INCOME DIFFERENCES
INCOME DIFFERENTIALS
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS
INCOME GAINS
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME INEQUALITY
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME LEVELS
INCOME MEASURES
INCOME SCALE
INCOMES
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES
INEQUALITY
INFANT MORTALITY
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
INNOVATION
INSURANCE
JOB INSECURITY
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LIVING STANDARDS
LOG INCOME
LONGITUDINAL DATA
LOTTERY
MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS
MACROECONOMICS
MARKET ASSETS
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET PERFORMANCE
MEAN INCOME
MEASUREMENT ERROR
MEASURES OF POVERTY
MEDIAN VOTER
MIDDLE CLASS
MORTALITY
NATIONAL INCOME
NATIONAL SURVEYS
NEGATIVE EFFECT
NEGATIVE SHOCK
NEGATIVE SHOCKS
NEW MARKET
OPTIMIZATION
PARTICULAR COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS
PERSONAL INCOME
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
POLICY OBJECTIVE
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL ECONOMY CONSIDERATIONS
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
POLITICAL STABILITY
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR PEOPLE
POSITIVE CORRELATION
POVERTY DYNAMICS
POVERTY HEADCOUNT
POVERTY LINE
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATIZATION
PRODUCTIVITY
PUBLIC ECONOMICS
PUBLIC POLICY
RAPID GROWTH
REDISTRIBUTIVE TAXATION
REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
RELATIVE INCOME
REMOTE AREAS
SAVINGS
SKILLED LABOR
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL MOBILITY
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
TAXATION
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
URBAN WORKERS
VOLATILITY
WAGE DIFFERENTIALS
WEALTH
WELL BEING
WELL-BEING
WELLBEING
spellingShingle ACCOUNTING
ATTRITION
AVERAGE INCOME
BARGAINING
BARGAINING POWER
BENCHMARKS
BOUNDED RATIONALITY
CAPITAL MARKETS
CIVIL WAR
COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS
COUNTRY DUMMY
CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS
CROSS-COUNTRY STUDY
CROSS-SECTION DATA
DEMOCRACY
DEMOGRAPHIC
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEVALUATIONS
DEVELOPED ECONOMIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DIMINISHING RETURNS
DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME
DISTRIBUTIONAL OUTCOMES
DRIVERS
EARNINGS LEVELS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC CRISIS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC OUTCOMES
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC POLICY
ECONOMIC PROGRESS
ECONOMIC REFORM
ECONOMIC RESEARCH
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMIC SITUATION
ECONOMIC STUDIES
ECONOMICS
EMERGING MARKET
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION
EQUITY ISSUES
EXTREME POVERTY
FINANCIAL CRISES
FINANCIAL CRISIS
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
FREE PRESS
FREE TRADE
FUTURE EARNINGS
FUTURE PROSPECTS
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GLOBAL MARKETS
GLOBALIZATION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT PER CAPITA
GROWTH PERIOD
HEALTH OUTCOMES
HIGH INFLATION
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
HUMAN RIGHTS
INCOME
INCOME DATA
INCOME DIFFERENCES
INCOME DIFFERENTIALS
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS
INCOME GAINS
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME INEQUALITY
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME LEVELS
INCOME MEASURES
INCOME SCALE
INCOMES
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES
INEQUALITY
INFANT MORTALITY
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
INNOVATION
INSURANCE
JOB INSECURITY
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LIVING STANDARDS
LOG INCOME
LONGITUDINAL DATA
LOTTERY
MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS
MACROECONOMICS
MARKET ASSETS
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET PERFORMANCE
MEAN INCOME
MEASUREMENT ERROR
MEASURES OF POVERTY
MEDIAN VOTER
MIDDLE CLASS
MORTALITY
NATIONAL INCOME
NATIONAL SURVEYS
NEGATIVE EFFECT
NEGATIVE SHOCK
NEGATIVE SHOCKS
NEW MARKET
OPTIMIZATION
PARTICULAR COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS
PERSONAL INCOME
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
POLICY OBJECTIVE
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL ECONOMY CONSIDERATIONS
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
POLITICAL STABILITY
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR PEOPLE
POSITIVE CORRELATION
POVERTY DYNAMICS
POVERTY HEADCOUNT
POVERTY LINE
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATIZATION
PRODUCTIVITY
PUBLIC ECONOMICS
PUBLIC POLICY
RAPID GROWTH
REDISTRIBUTIVE TAXATION
REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
RELATIVE INCOME
REMOTE AREAS
SAVINGS
SKILLED LABOR
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL MOBILITY
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
TAXATION
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
URBAN WORKERS
VOLATILITY
WAGE DIFFERENTIALS
WEALTH
WELL BEING
WELL-BEING
WELLBEING
Graham, Carol
Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
geographic_facet Latin America
Russian Federation
description The literature on the economics of happiness in developed economies finds discrepancies between reported measures of well-being and income measures. One is the so-called Easterlin paradox: that average happiness levels do not increase as countries grow wealthier. This article explores how that paradox and survey research on reported wellbeing in general can provide insights into the gaps between standard measures of economic development and individual assessments of welfare. Analysis of research on reported wellbeing in Latin America and Russia finds notable discrepancies between respondent assessments of their own wellbeing and income or expenditure based measures. Accepting a wide margin for error in both types of measures, the article posits that taking such discrepancies into account may improve the understanding of development outcomes by providing a broader view on wellbeing than do income or expenditure based measures alone. It suggests particular areas where research on reported well-being has the most potential to contribute. Yet the article also notes that some interpretations of happiness research psychologist set point theory, in particular may be quite limited in their application to development questions and cautions against the direct translation of results of happiness surveys into policy recommendations.
format Journal Article
author Graham, Carol
author_facet Graham, Carol
author_sort Graham, Carol
title Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
title_short Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
title_full Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
title_fullStr Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
title_full_unstemmed Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness
title_sort insights on development from the economics of happiness
publisher Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank
publishDate 2013
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17591346/insights-development-economics-happiness
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16402
_version_ 1764433487849324544
spelling okr-10986-164022021-04-23T14:03:30Z Insights on Development from the Economics of Happiness Graham, Carol ACCOUNTING ATTRITION AVERAGE INCOME BARGAINING BARGAINING POWER BENCHMARKS BOUNDED RATIONALITY CAPITAL MARKETS CIVIL WAR COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS COUNTRY DUMMY CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS CROSS-COUNTRY STUDY CROSS-SECTION DATA DEMOCRACY DEMOGRAPHIC DEPENDENT VARIABLE DEVALUATIONS DEVELOPED ECONOMIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING ECONOMIES DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIMINISHING RETURNS DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME DISTRIBUTIONAL OUTCOMES DRIVERS EARNINGS LEVELS ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC CRISIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OUTCOMES ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC PROGRESS ECONOMIC REFORM ECONOMIC RESEARCH ECONOMIC REVIEW ECONOMIC SITUATION ECONOMIC STUDIES ECONOMICS EMERGING MARKET EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EMPIRICAL STUDIES EMPIRICAL WORK EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION EQUITY ISSUES EXTREME POVERTY FINANCIAL CRISES FINANCIAL CRISIS FOREIGN INVESTMENT FREE PRESS FREE TRADE FUTURE EARNINGS FUTURE PROSPECTS GDP GDP PER CAPITA GLOBAL MARKETS GLOBALIZATION GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT PER CAPITA GROWTH PERIOD HEALTH OUTCOMES HIGH INFLATION HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HUMAN RIGHTS INCOME INCOME DATA INCOME DIFFERENCES INCOME DIFFERENTIALS INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS INCOME GAINS INCOME GROUP INCOME GROUPS INCOME INEQUALITY INCOME LEVEL INCOME LEVELS INCOME MEASURES INCOME SCALE INCOMES INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES INEQUALITY INFANT MORTALITY INFORMATION SYSTEMS INNOVATION INSURANCE JOB INSECURITY LABOR FORCE LABOR MARKET LIFE EXPECTANCY LIVING STANDARDS LOG INCOME LONGITUDINAL DATA LOTTERY MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS MACROECONOMICS MARKET ASSETS MARKET ECONOMIES MARKET PERFORMANCE MEAN INCOME MEASUREMENT ERROR MEASURES OF POVERTY MEDIAN VOTER MIDDLE CLASS MORTALITY NATIONAL INCOME NATIONAL SURVEYS NEGATIVE EFFECT NEGATIVE SHOCK NEGATIVE SHOCKS NEW MARKET OPTIMIZATION PARTICULAR COUNTRIES PER CAPITA INCOME PER CAPITA INCOME LEVELS PERSONAL INCOME POLICY IMPLICATIONS POLICY OBJECTIVE POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL ECONOMY CONSIDERATIONS POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS POLITICAL STABILITY POOR COUNTRIES POOR PEOPLE POSITIVE CORRELATION POVERTY DYNAMICS POVERTY HEADCOUNT POVERTY LINE POVERTY LINES POVERTY REDUCTION PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATIZATION PRODUCTIVITY PUBLIC ECONOMICS PUBLIC POLICY RAPID GROWTH REDISTRIBUTIVE TAXATION REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RELATIVE INCOME REMOTE AREAS SAVINGS SKILLED LABOR SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL MOBILITY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS TAXATION UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATES URBAN WORKERS VOLATILITY WAGE DIFFERENTIALS WEALTH WELL BEING WELL-BEING WELLBEING The literature on the economics of happiness in developed economies finds discrepancies between reported measures of well-being and income measures. One is the so-called Easterlin paradox: that average happiness levels do not increase as countries grow wealthier. This article explores how that paradox and survey research on reported wellbeing in general can provide insights into the gaps between standard measures of economic development and individual assessments of welfare. Analysis of research on reported wellbeing in Latin America and Russia finds notable discrepancies between respondent assessments of their own wellbeing and income or expenditure based measures. Accepting a wide margin for error in both types of measures, the article posits that taking such discrepancies into account may improve the understanding of development outcomes by providing a broader view on wellbeing than do income or expenditure based measures alone. It suggests particular areas where research on reported well-being has the most potential to contribute. Yet the article also notes that some interpretations of happiness research psychologist set point theory, in particular may be quite limited in their application to development questions and cautions against the direct translation of results of happiness surveys into policy recommendations. 2013-12-19T19:12:50Z 2013-12-19T19:12:50Z 2005-09-01 Journal Article http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17591346/insights-development-economics-happiness World Bank Research Observer doi:10.1093/wbro/lki010 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16402 English en_US CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/ World Bank Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank Publications & Research :: Journal Article Publications & Research :: Journal Article Latin America Russian Federation