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Income inequality and happiness: Which inequalities matter in China?

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  • Knight, John
  • Gunatilaka, Ramani

Abstract

The effect of inequality on happiness should intrigue social scientists. Of the many dimensions of income inequality, we explore four, analysing a rich data set for China. Does actual or perceived inequality have a greater effect on happiness? We find that perceptions of inequality are the more important. How broad is the reference group with which people compare themselves? They report that it is narrow; and indeed narrowly defined inequality has the greater effect on happiness. Do perceptions of the degree of fairness of inequality matter? They do, as they ameliorate the adverse effect of inequality on happiness, especially for the poorest. Is it self-centred or community-based inequality which affects happiness? Both measures have significant effects, but in opposite directions. The research and policy implications are discussed.

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  • Knight, John & Gunatilaka, Ramani, 2022. "Income inequality and happiness: Which inequalities matter in China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:72:y:2022:i:c:s1043951x22000232
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2022.101765
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    3. Wei, Binhui & Zhao, Chunkai & Luo, Mingzhong, 2024. "Online markets, offline happiness: E-commerce development and subjective well-being in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Biswajit Banerjee & Peter Toth, 2023. "Life Satisfaction and Inequality in Slovakia: The Role of Income, Consumption and Wealth," Working Papers 106, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    5. Mingzhi Hu & Yuming Yang & Yinxin Su & Xiaofen Yu, 2024. "Broadband Infrastructure and Happiness of Rural Households in China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-25, August.
    6. Guanghao Wu, 2024. "From Soil to Soul: Agro-Product Geographical Indications and the Subjective Well-Being of Rural Residents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-25, August.
    7. John Knight & Li Shi & Wan Haiyuan, 2023. "New integrated concepts and measures of income poverty and of 'common prosperity' in China," CSAE Working Paper Series 2023-14, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    8. Kundu, Srikanta & Kundu, Ruma & Chettri, Kul Bahadur, 2024. "Asymmetric effects of democracy and macroeconomic factors on happiness under high and low per capita incomes: A threshold panel analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    9. Boulton, Thomas J., 2023. "Property rights and access to equity capital in China," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    10. Qi Zhou & Jun Chen & Shanqing Liu & Fengxiu Zhou & Huwei Wen, 2024. "Pollution Control and Well-Being in Rural Areas: A Study Based on Survey Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, February.
    11. Xu, Tao & Zhu, Weiwei, 2021. "Eudemonia and Freedom: A Bibliometric Research on Frontiers and Evolution of Labour and Employment in China," MPRA Paper 112908, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 30 Mar 2022.
    12. Penghu Zhu & Yingying Hu & Ning Zhang, 2024. "How does civilization promote happiness? Insights from the Civilized Cities Program in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    13. Peihua Deng & Ronnie Schöb, 2022. "Group-Specific Redistribution, Inequality, and Subjective Well-Being in China," CESifo Working Paper Series 9847, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; Happiness; Income inequality; Reference group; Relative income;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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