La croissance rend-elle heureux ? La réponse des données subjectives

Andrew Clark () and Claudia Senik ()

PSE Working Papers from PSE (Ecole normale supérieure)

Abstract: Le recours aux données subjectives permet d'analyser le lien entre revenu et bien-être individuel. Depuis le paradoxe d'Easterlin, de nombreux travaux ont essayé d'expliquer pourquoi au niveau agrégé, la croissance du revenu national ne semblait pas nécessairement entraîner celle du bien-être. L'ensemble de travaux empiriques présentés ici mettent au jour des phénomènes de comparaison de revenu, d'adaptation et d'anticipations qui, se compensant, rendent parfois invisible le lien agrégé entre croissance et bonheur. Au total, cet ensemble de travaux montre que les individus évaluent leur situation à l'aune de leurs aspirations ; celles-ci jouent un rôle favorable ou néfaste, selon qu'elles sont perçues comme potentiellement réalisables ou non. ###[english abstract: The well-known Easterlin Paradox notes that, at the aggregate level, GDP growth does not seem to produce higher levels of well-being. Subjective Well-Being Data allow us to model directly the relationship between well-being and income. Empirical work then uncovers correlations that are consistent with social comparisons, adaptation and anticipations: these together may well produce a net correlation between well-being and income that is close to zero. Anticipations about future income play a positive role in individual well-being. The relationship between anticipations and others' income is key in this research. In a more mobile world, others' higher income may increase my well-being, because I have a good chance of sharing their good fortune in the future; in a less mobile world, others' income may reduce my well-being, as others' higher income tells me little about my own future prospects, and sentiments of envy prevail.]###

Date: 2007
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