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Happiness and the Human Development Index : the paradox of Australia

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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. ISSN 0004-9018

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x

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:

Date	Event
16 September 2005	Published

Volume:

Vol.38

Number:

No.3

Page Range:

pp. 307-318

Identification Number:

10.1111/j.1467-8462.2005.00377.x

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

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