Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Happiness and the Human Development Index : the paradox of Australia

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Blanchflower, David G. and Oswald, Andrew J. (2005) Happiness and the Human Development Index : the paradox of Australia. Australian Economic Review, Vol.38 (No.3). pp. 307-318. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP_Oswald_ausbloswald2005.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (148Kb)
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

According to the well-being measure known as the U.N. Human
Development Index, Australia now ranks 3rd in the world and higher than all other English-speaking nations. This paper questions that assessment. It reviews work on the economics of happiness, considers implications for policymakers, and explores where Australia lies in international subjective
well-being rankings. Using new data on approximately 50,000 randomly sampled individuals from 35 nations, the paper shows that Australians have some of the lowest levels of job satisfaction in the world. Moreover, among the sub-sample of English-speaking nations, where a common language
should help subjective measures to be reliable, Australia performs poorly on a range of happiness indicators. The paper discusses this paradox. Our purpose is not to reject HDI methods, but rather to argue that much remains
to be understood in this area.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): United Nations -- Human Development Index, Well-being -- Australia, Happiness -- Australia
Journal or Publication Title: Australian Economic Review
Publisher: Blackwell
ISSN: 0004-9018
Official Date: 16 September 2005
Dates:
DateEvent
16 September 2005Published
Volume: Vol.38
Number: No.3
Page Range: pp. 307-318
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x
Status: Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version: Open Access

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us