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Happiness Inequality: How Much is Reasonable?

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  • Néstor Gandelman
  • Rafael Porzecanski

Abstract

We compute the Gini indexes for income, happiness and various simulated utility levels. Due to decreasing marginal utility of income, happiness inequality should be lower than income inequality. We find that happiness inequality is about half that of income inequality. To compute the utility levels we need to assume values for a key parameter that can be interpreted as a measure of relative risk aversion. If this coefficient is above one, as many economists believe, then a large part of happiness inequality is not related to pecuniary dimensions of life. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Néstor Gandelman & Rafael Porzecanski, 2013. "Happiness Inequality: How Much is Reasonable?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 257-269, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:110:y:2013:i:1:p:257-269
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9929-z
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    3. Lous, Bjorn, 2020. "On free markets, income inequality, happiness and trust," Other publications TiSEM e2480eed-722b-4e2a-8e29-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Bodo Knoll & Hans Pitlik, 2014. "Who Benefits from Big Government? A Life Satisfaction Approach. WWWforEurope Policy Paper No. 14," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47495.
    5. Gandelman, Néstor & Hernández-Murillo, Rubén, 2013. "What do happiness and health satisfaction data tell us about relative risk aversion?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 301-312.
    6. Nestor Gandelman & Ruben Hernandez-Murillo, 2015. "Risk Aversion at the Country Level," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 97(1), pages 53-66.
    7. Ram, Rati, 2017. "Kuznets curve in happiness: A cross-country exploration," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 272-278.
    8. Edsel Beja, 2014. "Yet, Two More Revisions to the Human Development Index," Forum for Social Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 27-39, April.
    9. Niimi, Yoko, 2015. "Can Happiness Provide New Insights into Social Inequality? Evidence from Japan," AGI Working Paper Series 2015-12, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    10. Yang, Jidong & Liu, Kai & Zhang, Yiran, 2015. "Happiness Inequality in China," MPRA Paper 66623, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Christopher Ambrey & Christopher Fleming, 2014. "Life Satisfaction in Australia: Evidence from Ten Years of the HILDA Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 691-714, January.
    12. Ma, Wanglin & Ma, Wanglin & Zheng, Hongyun, 2021. "Impacts of Cooking Fuel Choices on Subjective Well-Being: Insights from Rural China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315149, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Pascarn R. Dickinson & Philip S. Morrison, 2022. "Aversion to Local Wellbeing Inequality is Moderated by Social Engagement and Sense of Community," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 907-926, February.
    14. Johan Graafland & Bjorn Lous, 2019. "Income Inequality, Life Satisfaction Inequality and Trust: A Cross Country Panel Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 1717-1737, August.
    15. Ummugulsum Aysan, 2021. "The Welfare States and Happiness Inequalities in Europe," Journal of Social Policy Conferences, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 0(81), pages 71-99, December.
    16. Umakrishnan Kollamparambil, 2020. "Happiness, Happiness Inequality and Income Dynamics in South Africa," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 201-222, January.
    17. Umakrishnan Kollamparambil, 2021. "Socio-Economic Inequality of Wellbeing: A Comparison of Switzerland and South Africa," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 555-574, February.
    18. Valérie Bérenger & Jacques Silber, 2022. "On the Measurement of Happiness and of its Inequality," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 861-902, March.
    19. Mathews, Timothy & Schwartz, Jesse A., 2019. "Comparisons of utility inequality and income inequality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 18-20.
    20. Peter Krause, 2015. "Quality of Life and Inequality," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 765, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).

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