Religiosity as a determinant of happiness

Matthias Opfinger and Erich Gundlach

Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy from Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel)

Abstract: We find a U-shaped relation between happiness and religiosity in cross-country panel data after controlling for income levels. At a given level of income, the same level of happiness can be reached with high and low levels of religiosity, but not with intermediate levels. A rise in income causes an increase in happiness along with a decline of religiosity. Our interpretation of the empirical results is that the indifference curves for religiosity and other commodities of the utility function are hump-shaped.

Keywords: Happiness; religiosity; utility function; long-run development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 O11 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/48360/1/63_opfinger.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Religiosity as a determinant of happiness (2012)
Working Paper: Religiosity as a determinant of happiness (2011)
Working Paper: Religiosity as a determinant of happiness (2011)
Working Paper: Religiosity as a determinant of happiness (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:48360

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