Gallup Research: Top Incomes and Human Well-Being Around the World - Inequality makes us unhappy
Edited: 201601141025
Abstract: The share of income held by the top 1 percent in many countries around the world has been rising persistently over the last 30 years. But we continue to know little about how the rising top income shares affect human well-being. This study combines the latest data to examine the relationship between top income share and different dimensions of subjective well-being.
We find top income shares to be significantly correlated with lower life evaluation and higher levels of negative emotional well-being, but not positive emotional well-being. The results are robust to household income, individual’s socio-economic status, and macroeconomic environment controls.
link naar de Gallup-studie
LI publishes The prosperity index
Edited: 201411192113
Is a nation’s prosperity defined solely by its GDP? Prosperity is more than just the accumulation of material wealth, it is also the joy of everyday life and the prospect of an even better life in the future. This is true for individuals as well as nations. The Prosperity Index is a global measurement of prosperity based on both income and wellbeing.
Find out more here
The econometric analysis of LI has identified 89 variables, which are spread across eight sub-indices:
1) Economy;
2) Governance;
3) Entrepreneurship & Opportunity;
4) Education;
5) Health;
6) Personal freedom;
7) Safety & Security;
8) Sociale Capital & Social Values.
Each of the 8 variables are subdivided in two: 1) having an effect on income 2) having an impact on wellbeing.
The sociological data were mainly retrieved from the Gallup World Poll.
Methodology for income and wellbeing scores. For each country, the latest data available in 2013 were gathered for the 89 variables. The raw values are standardised and multiplied by the weights. The weighted variable values are then summed to produce a country’s wellbeing and income score in each sub-index. The income and wellbeing scores are then standardised so that they can be compared.
Critical note LT: a) What we miss in the Prosperity Index is some kind of measurement of inequality and the measured effect of taxes on income redistribution (e.g. Gini before and after taxation). b) The GDP/capita is not critisized by Legatum Institute for being a variable not taking into account inequality.
Find out more here
The econometric analysis of LI has identified 89 variables, which are spread across eight sub-indices:
1) Economy;
2) Governance;
3) Entrepreneurship & Opportunity;
4) Education;
5) Health;
6) Personal freedom;
7) Safety & Security;
8) Sociale Capital & Social Values.
Each of the 8 variables are subdivided in two: 1) having an effect on income 2) having an impact on wellbeing.
The sociological data were mainly retrieved from the Gallup World Poll.
Methodology for income and wellbeing scores. For each country, the latest data available in 2013 were gathered for the 89 variables. The raw values are standardised and multiplied by the weights. The weighted variable values are then summed to produce a country’s wellbeing and income score in each sub-index. The income and wellbeing scores are then standardised so that they can be compared.
Critical note LT: a) What we miss in the Prosperity Index is some kind of measurement of inequality and the measured effect of taxes on income redistribution (e.g. Gini before and after taxation). b) The GDP/capita is not critisized by Legatum Institute for being a variable not taking into account inequality.
