Helliwell, Huang & Wang - The Social Foundations of World Happiness
Helliwell, J. F., Huang, H., & Wang, S. (2017) The Social Foundations of World Happiness. In J. Helliwell, R. Layard, & J. Sachs (Eds.), WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2017 (8–47). United Nations
Chapter emphasizes the importance of the social foundations of happiness. This can be seen by comparing the life experiences between the top and bottom ten countries in 2017 happiness rankings. There is a four-point happiness gap between the two groups of countries, of which three-quarters is explained by the six variables, half due to differences in having someone to count on, generosity, a sense of freedom, and freedom from corruption. The other half of the explained difference is attributed to GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy, both of which, as the chapter explains, also depend importantly on the social context.
Helliwell, Huang & Wang “The Social Foundations of World Happiness”