Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/74869 
Year of Publication: 
2008
Series/Report no.: 
LICOS Discussion Paper No. 213
Publisher: 
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Leuven
Abstract: 
This paper uses longitudinal data from the Gfirman Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP) to analyze the course of subjective well-being over the life cycle. The long time dimension offers an opportunity to disentangle ageing effects from fixed birth co- hort effects. The paper _finds that the U-shaped pattern of life satisfaction over age is less supported in a longitudinal analysis, and that the observed trajectory can vary across model specifications. Moreover, assets and material well-being seem to play an important role in detfirmining the course of satisfaction over life time. The upsurge of happiness after mid-life seems to be more robust to model specifications, which might imply that the latter is inherent to mankind.
Subjects: 
subjective well-being
life cycle happiness
ageing
birth cohorts
U-shape
German Socio-Economic Panel
JEL: 
C23
I31
J10
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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