Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia

Despite being on average a relatively happy country, Colombia has a high level of inequality in subjective well-being. Using Gallup World Poll data for the period from 2010 to 2018, this paper tests the direction and strength of association of a ra...

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Main Authors:	Burger, Martijn, Hendriks, Martijn, Ianchovichina, Elena
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2021
Subjects:	SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING LIFE SATISFACTION HAPPINESS PERCEIVED WELFARE INCOME INEQUALITY SPATIAL INEQUALITY SPATIAL ECONOMICS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/280931614198064402/Happy-but-Unequal-Differences-in-Subjective-Well-Being-across-Individuals-and-Space-in-Colombia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35184

id	okr-10986-35184
recordtype	oai_dc
spelling	okr-10986-351842022-09-20T00:10:45Z Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia Burger, Martijn Hendriks, Martijn Ianchovichina, Elena SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING LIFE SATISFACTION HAPPINESS PERCEIVED WELFARE INCOME INEQUALITY SPATIAL INEQUALITY SPATIAL ECONOMICS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY Despite being on average a relatively happy country, Colombia has a high level of inequality in subjective well-being. Using Gallup World Poll data for the period from 2010 to 2018, this paper tests the direction and strength of association of a range of objective and subjective factors with subjective well-being and explains differences in subjective well-being across individuals and space. The perceived welfare of the average Colombian is mainly influenced by conditions and expectations related to economic opportunities and education. However, quantile regressions, reveal substantial differences in the domains that matter to those at the bottom and top of the experienced welfare distribution. Standard-of-living improvements, housing affordability, and civic engagement matter more to the most fortunate top 20 percent, while having education, a job, sufficient income, economic security, and digital connectivity are much more strongly associated with the well-being of the bottom 20 percent. The life domains that matter more to the unhappiest respondents also explain the majority of the spatial differences in perceived welfare between residents in urban and rural areas as well as core and peripheral regions. Policy actions aimed at closing the gaps in these areas have the potential to increase well-being and reduce inequality in Colombia. 2021-02-25T15:11:36Z 2021-02-25T15:11:36Z 2021-02 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/280931614198064402/Happy-but-Unequal-Differences-in-Subjective-Well-Being-across-Individuals-and-Space-in-Colombia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35184 English Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9554 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Latin America & Caribbean Colombia
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Foreign Institution
institution	Digital Repositories
building	World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection	World Bank
language	English
topic	SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING LIFE SATISFACTION HAPPINESS PERCEIVED WELFARE INCOME INEQUALITY SPATIAL INEQUALITY SPATIAL ECONOMICS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY
spellingShingle	SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING LIFE SATISFACTION HAPPINESS PERCEIVED WELFARE INCOME INEQUALITY SPATIAL INEQUALITY SPATIAL ECONOMICS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY Burger, Martijn Hendriks, Martijn Ianchovichina, Elena Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
geographic_facet	Latin America & Caribbean Colombia
relation	Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9554
description	Despite being on average a relatively happy country, Colombia has a high level of inequality in subjective well-being. Using Gallup World Poll data for the period from 2010 to 2018, this paper tests the direction and strength of association of a range of objective and subjective factors with subjective well-being and explains differences in subjective well-being across individuals and space. The perceived welfare of the average Colombian is mainly influenced by conditions and expectations related to economic opportunities and education. However, quantile regressions, reveal substantial differences in the domains that matter to those at the bottom and top of the experienced welfare distribution. Standard-of-living improvements, housing affordability, and civic engagement matter more to the most fortunate top 20 percent, while having education, a job, sufficient income, economic security, and digital connectivity are much more strongly associated with the well-being of the bottom 20 percent. The life domains that matter more to the unhappiest respondents also explain the majority of the spatial differences in perceived welfare between residents in urban and rural areas as well as core and peripheral regions. Policy actions aimed at closing the gaps in these areas have the potential to increase well-being and reduce inequality in Colombia.
format	Working Paper
author	Burger, Martijn Hendriks, Martijn Ianchovichina, Elena
author_facet	Burger, Martijn Hendriks, Martijn Ianchovichina, Elena
author_sort	Burger, Martijn
title	Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
title_short	Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
title_full	Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
title_fullStr	Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
title_full_unstemmed	Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
title_sort	happy but unequal : differences in subjective well-being across individuals and space in colombia
publisher	World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate	2021
url	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/280931614198064402/Happy-but-Unequal-Differences-in-Subjective-Well-Being-across-Individuals-and-Space-in-Colombia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35184
_version_	1764482502689292288

Happy but Unequal : Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia

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