• DOI:10.1016/0167-2681(95)00003-B
Corpus ID: 10132706

Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all

@article{Easterlin1995WillRT,
  title={Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all},
  author={R. Easterlin},
  journal={Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization},
  year={1995},
  volume={27},
  pages={35-47}
}

R. Easterlin

Published 1995

Economics

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization

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Today, as in the past, within a country at a given time those with higher incomes are, on average, happier. However, raising the incomes of all does not increase the happiness of all. This is because the material norms on which judgments of well-being are based increase in the same proportion as the actual income of the society. These conclusions are suggested by data on reported happiness, material norms, and income collected in surveys in a number of countries over the past half century.