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Correlational findings

Study Bjornskov (2006a): study ZZ 1995

Public
18+ aged, general public, 67 nations, 1995-2002
Sample
Respondents
N = 70000
Non Response
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face

Correlate

Authors's Label
Income inequality
Our Classification
Remarks
Source: World Income Inequality Database
Distribution
N = 67 M = 37,62 SD = 10,14
Operationalization
Income inequality (Gini)

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks O-SLW-c-sq-l-10-a = DIFFERENCE IN HAPPINESS between poor and rich citizens by income inequality in 67 nations.

'Poor' is lowest 33%, 'rich highest 33% in self rated income position.

Dependent variable: the DIFFERENCE in AVERAGE life satisfaction between the richest people (33% richest) and poorest people (33% poorest) in 67 nations. Average difference on 1-10-scale: 0,43; SD = 0,34; calculated on the basis of World Values Surveys (Inglehart et al. 2004).
O-SLW-c-sq-l-10-a b = +.29 ns B (+0,290) controlled for:
-GDP per capita
-Openness
-Postcommunist
-Government consumption
-Regulatory freedom

The greater income inequality in a nation, the bigger the difference in happiness between poor and rich (but not significantly).

This relation is reversed among rich and democratic nations (and significantly negative)