Inequality-adjusted happiness is an index which denotes the degree towhich a country combines a high average level of happiness with low inequality in happiness. The index gives equal weight to level and inequality of happiness. Its theoretical range is between 0 and 100.
Computation: iah = 4 + 9.6 m – 3.97sd, where: m is mean and sd is the standard deviation of a happiness distribution.
The concept and computation is discussed in Veenhoven, R. & Kalmijn, W. Inequality adjusted happiness in nations. Egalitarianism and utilitarianism married together in a new index of societal performance. (paper under review).
| Variant | Description | Code | Nation | Since | Source Trend average happiness in nations Trend inequality of happiness in nations |
| Inequality-adjusted happiness | Computed from hl3_us and eqhl3_us | iah_us | USA | 1946 | |
| Inequality-adjusted life satisfaction | Computed from ls4_be and eqls4_be | iah_be | Belgium | 1973 | |
| Computed from ls4_de and eqls4_de | iah_de | Germany (re-united) | 1990 | ||
| Computed from ls4_dee and eqls4_dee | iah_dee | Germany (former East) | 1990 | ||
| Computed from ls4_dew and eqls4_dew | iah_dew | Germany (former West) | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_dk and eqls4_dk | iah_dk | Denmark | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_eu8 and eqls4_eu8 | iah_eu8 | EU-8* | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_fr and eqls4_fr | iah_fr | France | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_gr and eqls4_gr | iah_gr | Greece | 1981 | ||
| Computed from ls4_ie and eqls4_ie | iah_ie | Ireland | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_it and eqls4_it | iah_it | Italy | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls45_jp and eqls45_jp | iah_jp | Japan | 1958 | ||
| Computed from ls4_lu and eqls4_lu | iah_lu | Luxemburg | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_nl and eqls4_nl | iah_nl | Netherlands | 1973 | ||
| Computed from ls4_pt and eqls4_pt | iah_pt | Portugal | 1985 | ||
| Computed from ls4_sp and eqls4_sp | iah_sp | Spain | 1985 | ||
| Computed from ls4_uk and eqls4_uk | iah_uk | UK (Great Britain) | 1973 | ||
* Weighted average: EU-8 = Belgium x 0.037423 + Denmark x 0,19263 + France x 0,213337 + West-Gernamy x 0,243826 + Italy x 0,211549 + Luxemburg x 0,0001503 + Netherlands x 0,056975 + UK x 0,216118
Same variable in data file ‘States of Nations’: Inequality-adjusted happiness