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Social Indicators Research

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01-08-2015

Rural–Urban Living and Level of Economic Development as Factors in Subjective Well-Being

Author: Felix Requena

Published in: Social Indicators Research | Issue 2/2016

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Abstract

This article analyses the combined effect on subjective well-being of rural versus urban environments and a country’s level of economic development. There is a great deal of controversy regarding the subjective well-being of people in different places. Fischer’s works report greater happiness among village inhabitants than among urban residents. However, in ‘Urbanism as a way of life’, Wirth demonstrates the attractiveness of the urban environment in contributing to subjective well-being. Our data set includes 29 countries participating in the 2012 ESS. The results confirm the hypothesis that in wealthier countries, rural living standards are high enough to create a higher level of subjective well-being; while in less developed countries the rural environment cannot compete with urban resources for creating subjective well-being.

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Title: Rural–Urban Living and Level of Economic Development as Factors in Subjective Well-Being
Author: Felix Requena
Publication date: 01-08-2015
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Social Indicators Research / Issue 2/2016
Print ISSN: 0303-8300
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0921
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-1051-1

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