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Do private and public transfers received affect life satisfaction? Evidence from Romania

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  • Mitrut, Andreea
  • Wolff, François-Charles

Abstract

This paper uses Romanian survey data to investigate the determinants of individual life and financial satisfaction, with an emphasis on the role of public and private transfers received. A possible concern is that these transfers are unlikely to be exogenous to satisfaction. We use recursive simultaneous equations models to account both for this potential problem and for the fact that public transfers are themselves endogenous in the private transfer equation. We find that public transfers received have a positive influence on both life and financial satisfaction, while private transfers do not matter. People receive private transfers irrespective of their economic and demographic characteristics in Romania, which could be explained by some social norm motives.

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  • Mitrut, Andreea & Wolff, François-Charles, 2011. "Do private and public transfers received affect life satisfaction? Evidence from Romania," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 969-979.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:32:y:2011:i:6:p:969-979
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2011.03.007
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    Cited by:

    1. Laetitia Duval & François-Charles Wolff, 2016. "“I even met happy gypsies”," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 24(4), pages 727-764, October.
    2. Guven, Cahit, 2012. "Reversing the question: Does happiness affect consumption and savings behavior?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 701-717.
    3. Balteș Nicolae & Dumiter Florin & David Delia & Jimon Ștefania, 2018. "Trends Regarding the Evolution of the Romanian Pension System," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 28(1), pages 1-16, March.
    4. Livani, Talajeh & Graham, Carol, 2019. "Do social protection programs improve life satisfaction? Evidence from Iraq," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    5. BALTES Nicolae & JIMON Stefania Amalia, 2018. "Pension System In Reducing Poverty Risk In Romania," Revista Economica, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 70(1), pages 114-127, August.
    6. JIMON Stefania Amalia & BALTES Nicolae & MUNTEAN Neli, 2019. "Social Protection Of Older People And The Structure Of Consumption Expenditure In Countries Of Central And Eastern Europe," Revista Economica, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 71(2), pages 103-117, September.
    7. Wei Cui & Insook Cho, 2019. "Household’s Happiness and Financial Market Participation," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(4), pages 396-418, October.
    8. Yulei Rao & Lixing Mei & Rui Zhu, 2016. "Happiness and Stock-Market Participation: Empirical Evidence from China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 271-293, February.
    9. Nicolae Balteș & Ștefania Amalia Jimon, 2019. "Social Inequalities and the Reform of Romanian Public Pension System by Law no. 127/2019," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 219-226, December.
    10. Ekaterina Selezneva, 2010. "What makes Russian women (un)happy? A closer look at the family," Working Papers 287, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    11. Matteo Migheli, 2017. "Size of Town, Level of Education and Life Satisfaction in Western Europe," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(2), pages 190-204, April.
    12. Laetitia Duval & François-­charles Wolff, 2015. "" I Even Met Happy Gypsies " : Life Satisfaction of Roma Youth in the Balkans," Working Papers hal-01219250, HAL.
    13. repec:blg:reveco:v:70:y:2018:i:3:p:8-21 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness; Financial satisfaction; Private transfers; Public transfers; Romania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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