Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/123167 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 5546
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
This note provides evidence for the relationship between income comparisons and subjective well-being (SWB), using novel German data on self-reported comparison intensity and perceived relative income for seven reference groups. We find negative correlations between comparison intensity and SWB for colleagues, people in the same occupation and friends, but not for other reference groups, such as neighbours. Work-related income comparisons are mostly upwards and there is a strong negative correlation between perceiving to earn less than the reference group and SWB.
Subjects: 
income comparisons
German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)
relative income
subjective well-being
JEL: 
D31
D62
I31
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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