Life Satisfaction in Urban China: Components and Determinants

Simon Appleton; Lina Song

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009

Life Satisfaction in Urban China: Components and Determinants

Simon Appleton, Lina Song

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

226 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Survey data from urban China in 2002 show levels of life satisfaction to have been low, but not exceptionally so, by international comparison. Many of the determinants of life satisfaction in urban China appear comparable to those for people in other countries. These include, inter alia, unemployment, income, marriage, sex, health, and age. Communist Party membership and political participation raised life satisfaction. People appeared fairly satisfied with economic growth and low inflation, and this contributed to their overall life satisfaction. There was dissatisfaction over pollution, but this-like job insecurity-does not appear to have impacted on life satisfaction.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2325-2340
Number of pages	16
Journal	World Development
Volume	36
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009
Publication status	Published - Nov 2008
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

China
economic growth
happiness
life satisfaction
unemployment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geography, Planning and Development
Development
Sociology and Political Science
Economics and Econometrics

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009

Cite this

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title = "Life Satisfaction in Urban China: Components and Determinants",

abstract = "Survey data from urban China in 2002 show levels of life satisfaction to have been low, but not exceptionally so, by international comparison. Many of the determinants of life satisfaction in urban China appear comparable to those for people in other countries. These include, inter alia, unemployment, income, marriage, sex, health, and age. Communist Party membership and political participation raised life satisfaction. People appeared fairly satisfied with economic growth and low inflation, and this contributed to their overall life satisfaction. There was dissatisfaction over pollution, but this-like job insecurity-does not appear to have impacted on life satisfaction.",

keywords = "China, economic growth, happiness, life satisfaction, unemployment",

author = "Simon Appleton and Lina Song",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the CCK Foundation for funding the project and the Ford Foundation for supporting the data collection. Bai Nansheng was a great help with the design of the project and the conduct of the pilot survey. Li Shi administered the data collection. Helpful comments were provided by three anonymous referees. We are grateful to all of them. ",

year = "2008",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

pages = "2325--2340",

journal = "World Development",

issn = "0305-750X",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Life Satisfaction in Urban China

T2 - Components and Determinants

AU - Appleton, Simon

AU - Song, Lina

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the CCK Foundation for funding the project and the Ford Foundation for supporting the data collection. Bai Nansheng was a great help with the design of the project and the conduct of the pilot survey. Li Shi administered the data collection. Helpful comments were provided by three anonymous referees. We are grateful to all of them.

PY - 2008/11

Y1 - 2008/11

N2 - Survey data from urban China in 2002 show levels of life satisfaction to have been low, but not exceptionally so, by international comparison. Many of the determinants of life satisfaction in urban China appear comparable to those for people in other countries. These include, inter alia, unemployment, income, marriage, sex, health, and age. Communist Party membership and political participation raised life satisfaction. People appeared fairly satisfied with economic growth and low inflation, and this contributed to their overall life satisfaction. There was dissatisfaction over pollution, but this-like job insecurity-does not appear to have impacted on life satisfaction.

AB - Survey data from urban China in 2002 show levels of life satisfaction to have been low, but not exceptionally so, by international comparison. Many of the determinants of life satisfaction in urban China appear comparable to those for people in other countries. These include, inter alia, unemployment, income, marriage, sex, health, and age. Communist Party membership and political participation raised life satisfaction. People appeared fairly satisfied with economic growth and low inflation, and this contributed to their overall life satisfaction. There was dissatisfaction over pollution, but this-like job insecurity-does not appear to have impacted on life satisfaction.

KW - China

KW - economic growth

KW - happiness

KW - life satisfaction

KW - unemployment

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U2 - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009

DO - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:53849141476

SN - 0305-750X

VL - 36

SP - 2325

EP - 2340

JO - World Development

JF - World Development

IS - 11

ER -

Life Satisfaction in Urban China: Components and Determinants

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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