Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/196811 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12313
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper studies the impact of six main air pollutants on three key dimensions of subjective well-being (SWB) – life satisfaction, hedonic happiness and mental health. We match a nationally representative survey in China with local air quality and rich weather conditions according to the exact date and county of each interview. By making use of variations in exposures to air pollution across similar respondents living in the same county, we find that PM2.5 reduces hedonic happiness and increases the rate of depressive symptoms, but does not affect life satisfaction. Our results show that the benefits of reducing air pollution would be higher if the hidden costs of air pollution on SWB in China are taken into account.
Subjects: 
life satisfaction
hedonic happiness
depressive symptoms
air pollution
China
JEL: 
I31
Q51
Q53
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
460.64 kB





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