Social Development and Happiness in nations 1990-2010

Ruut VeenhovenErasmus University Rotterdam

Presentation at Conference Taking Stock: Measuring Social Development

International Institute of Social StudiesDecember 14-15 2011, The Hague, Netherlands

Social development and Happiness

• The issue

• Social development

• Happiness

• Does social development foster happiness?

– Independent of economic development?

– More so than economic development?

The issue

• Disenchantment with primacy of economic development

• Call for more emphasis onsocial development

• Expectation that social developmentmatters more for happiness

Questions

• Social development linked to happiness?– level– change

• Independent of economic development?

• More so than economic development?

Social development

Social development

• Not societal developmentin macro-sociological sense

• Degree to which social life in contemporary societies fits ideals of:– involvement– connectedness– equality

Also called ‘social capital’

Happiness

Happiness

• Concept

• Measurement

• Differences across nations

• Trends over time

What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life

external

internal

chances

outcomes

What is ‘happiness’?Four qualities of life

external

internal

chances

Livability

Life-ability

outcomes

Utility

Satisfaction

What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction

Passing

Enduring

Part

Whole

What is ‘happiness’?Four kinds of satisfaction

Passing

Enduring

Part

Pleasure

Domain

satisfaction

Whole

Top experience

Life satisfaction

(Happiness)

Measurement of happinessExample of a survey question

Taking all together, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Dissatisfied Satisfied

HappinessDifference across nations

Happiness in Denmark

Happiness in Zimbabwe

DISSATISFIED

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SATISFIED

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR LIFE

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

Perce

nt

COUNTRY/REGION: ZIMBABWE

Happiness in nations 2000-2009

• Denmark 8,3

• Netherlands 7,6

• USA 7,4

• France 6,6

• Russia 5,5

• Iraq 4,7

• Zimbabwe 3,0

Trend happiness 1973-2010

Gains happiness 1973-2010, scale 0-10

• Italy + 0,63

• Denmark + 0,55

• USA + 0,29

• France + 0,55

• UK + 0,26

• Netherlands + 0,26

• Japan + 0,20

Social development happiness?

Social development happiness?

• Comparison across nations

• Comparison over time, within nations

Data set:

States of nations. Part of World Database of Happiness

Social development happiness?Across nations: Civic activism

Social development happiness?Across nations: Intergroup cohesion

Social development happiness?Across nations: Clubs and Associations

Social development happiness?Across nations: Interpersonal S+T

Social development happiness?Across nations: Gender equality

Social development happiness?Comparison across nations 2010

r N

Civic Activism +.62 140

Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141

Clubs associations +.11 107

Safety-Trust +.40 124

Gender Equality +.51 143

Social development happiness?Comparison over time 1990-2010

Social development happiness?Over time: Civic activism

Social development happiness?Across nations: Clubs and Associations

Social development happiness?Over time: Interpersonal S+T

Social development happiness?Over time: Gender equality

Social development happiness?Comparison over time 1990-2010

Change ISD in nation Correlation with change average life satisfaction

r N

Civic Activism +.08 65

Intergroup Cohesion +.04 53

Clubs - Associations -.24 54

Safety-Trust -.23 41

Gender Equality +.13 63

Independent of economic development?

Social development happiness?Independent of economic development?

ISD 2010 Correlation with average life satisfaction 2010

Zero order

N Wealth controlled

N

Civic Activism +.62 140 +.32 135

Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141 +.03 135

Clubs -associations +.11 107 +.10 102

Safety-Trust +.40 124 +.02 121

Gender Equality +.51 143 +.36 135

More so than economic development?

More so than economic development?

• Comparison across nations 2010

• Comparison over time 1990-2010

More so than economic development?Across nations: Buying power p/c

More so than economic development?Comparison across nations

Correlation with average life satisfaction

r N

Civic Activism +.62 140

Intergroup Cohesion +.36 141

Clubs - Associations +.11 107

Safety-Trust +.40 124

Gender Equality +.51 143

Buying power p/c +.61 138

More so than economic development?Over time: Buying power p/c

More so than economic development?Comparison over time

Change ISD Correlation with change average life satisfaction

r N

Civic Activism +.08 65

Intergroup Cohesion +.04 53

Clubs - Associations -.24 54

Safety-Trust -.23 41

Gender Equality +.13 63

Change buying power p/c -.09 39

Economic growth +.40 40

Social development happiness?Conclusions

1. No clear relation with- Intergroup cohesion- Clubs- associations- Safety –Trust

2. Consistent relation with:- Civic Activism- Gender Equality

3. Partly independent of economic development

4. No stronger than economic development

World Database of Happiness

http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl