Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/18405 
Year of Publication: 
2007
Series/Report no.: 
DIW Discussion Papers No. 673
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
This paper explores the determinants of individual well-being as measured by self-reported levels of satisfaction with income. Making full use of the panel data nature of the German Socio-Economic Panel, we provide empirical evidence for well-being depending on absolute and on relative levels of income in a dynamic framework. This finding holds after controlling for other influential factors in a multivariate setting. The main novelty of the paper is the consideration of dynamic aspects: the individual?s own history as well as the relative income performance with respect to the others living in the society under analysis do play a major role in the assessment of well-being.
Subjects: 
Interdependent Preferences
Inequality Aversion
Status
Subjective Well-Being
SOEP
JEL: 
D31
I31
D63
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
351.04 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.