The drivers of happiness inequality: suggestions for promoting social cohesion

Leonardo Becchetti, Riccardo Massari and Paolo Naticchioni

Oxford Economic Papers, 2014, vol. 66, issue 2, 419-442

Abstract: This paper identifies and quantifies the contribution of a set of covariates in affecting levels and over time changes of happiness inequality. Using a decomposition method based on RIF regression, we analyse the increase in happiness inequality observed in Germany between 1992 and 2007, using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) database, deriving the following findings. First, trends in happiness inequality are mainly driven by composition effects, while coefficient effects are negligible. Second, among composition effects, education has an inequality-reducing impact, while the increase in unemployment contributes to the rise in happiness inequality. Third, increase in average income is associated to a decrease in happiness inequality, while the rise in income inequality cannot be considered as a driver of happiness inequality trends. A clear-cut policy implication is that policies enhancing education and economic performance contribute to reduce happiness inequality and the potential social tensions arising from it.

Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (48)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/oep/gpt016 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
Working Paper: The Drivers of Happiness Inequality: Suggestions for Promoting Social Cohesion (2013)
Working Paper: The drivers of happiness inequality: Suggestions for promoting social cohesion (2011)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:oxecpp:v:66:y:2014:i:2:p:419-442.

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Oxford Economic Papers is currently edited by James Forder and Francis J. Teal

More articles in Oxford Economic Papers from Oxford University Press Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().