SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND INDIVIDUAL MATERIAL SITUATION IN FOUR COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL EUROPE

• Authors: Švorc Jan
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This article deals with the subjective well-being (SWB) and with its association with subjective and objective measures of individual material conditions in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Material conditions are measured by the level of income; relative income approximated by subjective evaluation of one’s own financial situation as compared to most people, as well as to one’s own past financial situation; subjective economic strain; financial problems; ability to afford selected items and housing defects. The statistical analysis is based on data sourced from the third and fourth wave of the European Quality of Life Study. The results show that a better material situation as approximated by the given variables is associated with improved SWB in the Czech Republic and Poland. In Hungary, people in high-income groups are not on average happier and more satisfied with their lives than people in low-income groups, and people who are able to make ends meet are not on average happier and more satisfied than those who are unable. In Slovakia, people in high-income groups are not on average more satisfied with their lives than people in low-income groups, and people evaluating their financial situation favourably as compared to most people in their country are not on average happier and more satisfied with their lives than people evaluating it as worse. The subjective financial situation relative to most people and the subjective economic strain seem to be especially important factors.

Keywords

EN

SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING; LIFE SATISFACTION; HAPPINESS; INCOME; CZECH REPUBLIC; HUNGARY; POLAND; SLOVAKIA

• Publisher: Institute of Sociology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Sociológia (Sociology)
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 727 – 759

Contributors

author

Švorc Jan

• Institute of Information Theory and Automation, Czech Academy of Sciences, Pod Vodárenskou věží 4, 182 08, Praha 8, Czech Republic

Identifiers

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31577/sociologia.2018.50.6.27