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| 12044 | There is a 'happiness gap' between East and West Germany | there-is-a-happiness-gap-between-east-and-west-germany | post | publish | <!-- wp:html --> <div class="blog-info">Our World in Data presents the empirical evidence on global development in entries dedicated to specific topics.<br> This blog post draws on data and research discussed in our entry on <strong><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Happiness and Life Satisfaction</a></strong>.</div> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp-block-tombstone 26506 --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In global surveys of happiness and life satisfaction, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder" target="_blank">Germany usually ranks high</a>. However, these national averages mask large inequalities. In the map shown we focus on regional inequalities—specifically the gap in life satisfaction between West and East Germany.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This map plots self-reported life satisfaction in Germany (using the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/#is-life-satisfaction-the-same-as-happiness" target="_blank">0-10 Cantril Ladder question</a>), aggregating averages scores at the level of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Germany" target="_blank">Federal States</a>.{ref}In some cases, the underlying data had multiple average estimates for the same territory (e.g. Baden and Württemberg were treated as different entities). In these cases the map shows the average between these two observations. Details can be found in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-data.xlsx" target="_blank">this file</a>{/ref} What stands out is a clear divide between the East and the West, along the political division that existed before the reunification of Germany in 1990.<br> For example, the difference in levels between neighboring Schleswig-Holstein (in West Germany) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (in East Germany) are similar to the difference between <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder">Sweden and the US</a> – a considerable contrast in self-reported life satisfaction.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":11335,"align":"center","linkDestination":"custom"} --> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas.png"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-379x550.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11335"/></a></figure></div> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several academic studies have looked more closely at this 'happiness gap' in Germany using data from more detailed surveys, such as the German Socio-Economic Panel (e.g. Petrunyk and Pfeifer 2016).{ref}Petrunyk, I., & Pfeifer, C. (2016). Life satisfaction in Germany after reunification: Additional insights on the pattern of convergence. Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, 236(2), 217-239.{/ref} These studies provide two main insights:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First, the gap is partly driven by differences in household income and employment. But this is not the only aspect; even after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic differences, the East-West gap remains significant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Germany's happiness gap over time</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And second, the gap has been narrowing in recent years, as the chart shows. In fact, the finding that the gap is narrowing is true both for the raw average differences, as well as for the 'conditional differences' (i.e. the differences that are estimated after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":6} --> <h6>Trends in life satisfaction for East and West Germany, 1992-2013</h6> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":11307,"align":"center","linkDestination":"custom"} --> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016.png"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-357x550.png" alt="" class="wp-image-11307"/></a></figure></div> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The observation that socioeconomic and demographic differences do not fully predict the observed East-West differences in self-reported happiness is related to a broader empirical phenomenon: Culture and history matter for self-reported life satisfaction—and in particular, ex-communist countries tend to have a lower subjective well-being than other countries with comparable levels of economic development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> | {
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2017-06-17 15:04:01 | 2024-02-16 14:22:46 | 1FkhpTDl-8EEQBUACLg16EMDdllsxbdx06KPzEAIcJOE | [
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2017-06-13 16:04:01 | 2020-04-30 14:00:22 | https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas.png | {} |
Our World in Data presents the empirical evidence on global development in entries dedicated to specific topics. This blog post draws on data and research discussed in our entry on **[Happiness and Life Satisfaction](https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/)** . In global surveys of happiness and life satisfaction, [Germany usually ranks high](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder). However, these national averages mask large inequalities. In the map shown we focus on regional inequalities—specifically the gap in life satisfaction between West and East Germany. This map plots self-reported life satisfaction in Germany (using the [0-10 Cantril Ladder question](https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/#is-life-satisfaction-the-same-as-happiness)), aggregating averages scores at the level of [Federal States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Germany).{ref}In some cases, the underlying data had multiple average estimates for the same territory (e.g. Baden and Württemberg were treated as different entities). In these cases the map shows the average between these two observations. Details can be found in [this file](https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-data.xlsx){/ref} What stands out is a clear divide between the East and the West, along the political division that existed before the reunification of Germany in 1990. For example, the difference in levels between neighboring Schleswig-Holstein (in West Germany) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (in East Germany) are similar to the difference between [Sweden and the US](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder) – a considerable contrast in self-reported life satisfaction. <Image filename="Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas.png" alt=""/> Several academic studies have looked more closely at this 'happiness gap' in Germany using data from more detailed surveys, such as the German Socio-Economic Panel (e.g. Petrunyk and Pfeifer 2016).{ref}Petrunyk, I., & Pfeifer, C. (2016). Life satisfaction in Germany after reunification: Additional insights on the pattern of convergence. Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, 236(2), 217-239.{/ref} These studies provide two main insights: First, the gap is partly driven by differences in household income and employment. But this is not the only aspect; even after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic differences, the East-West gap remains significant. ## Germany's happiness gap over time And second, the gap has been narrowing in recent years, as the chart shows. In fact, the finding that the gap is narrowing is true both for the raw average differences, as well as for the 'conditional differences' (i.e. the differences that are estimated after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics). #### Trends in life satisfaction for East and West Germany, 1992-2013 <Image filename="East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016.png" alt=""/> The observation that socioeconomic and demographic differences do not fully predict the observed East-West differences in self-reported happiness is related to a broader empirical phenomenon: Culture and history matter for self-reported life satisfaction—and in particular, ex-communist countries tend to have a lower subjective well-being than other countries with comparable levels of economic development. | {
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"rendered": "\n<div class=\"blog-info\">Our World in Data presents the empirical evidence on global development in entries dedicated to specific topics.<br>\nThis blog post draws on data and research discussed in our entry on <strong><a href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Happiness and Life Satisfaction</a></strong>.</div>\n\n\n\n<p>In global surveys of happiness and life satisfaction, <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder\" target=\"_blank\">Germany usually ranks high</a>. However, these national averages mask large inequalities. In the map shown we focus on regional inequalities\u2014specifically the gap in life satisfaction between West and East Germany.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This map plots self-reported life satisfaction in Germany (using the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/#is-life-satisfaction-the-same-as-happiness\" target=\"_blank\">0-10 Cantril Ladder question</a>), aggregating averages scores at the level of <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Germany\" target=\"_blank\">Federal States</a>.{ref}In some cases, the underlying data had multiple average estimates for the same territory (e.g. Baden and W\u00fcrttemberg were treated as different entities). In these cases the map shows the average between these two observations. Details can be found in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-data.xlsx\" target=\"_blank\">this file</a>{/ref} What stands out is a clear divide between the East and the West, along the political division that existed before the reunification of Germany in 1990.<br> For example, the difference in levels between neighboring Schleswig-Holstein (in West Germany) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (in East Germany) are similar to the difference between <a href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/happiness-cantril-ladder\">Sweden and the US</a> \u2013 a considerable contrast in self-reported life satisfaction.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"379\" height=\"550\" src=\"https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-379x550.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11335\" srcset=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-379x550.png 379w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-103x150.png 103w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-276x400.png 276w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/Germany-happiness-Gluecksatlas-768x1113.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 379px) 100vw, 379px\" /></a></figure></div>\n\n\n\n<p>Several academic studies have looked more closely at this ‘happiness gap’ in Germany using data from more detailed surveys, such as the German Socio-Economic Panel (e.g. Petrunyk and Pfeifer 2016).{ref}Petrunyk, I., & Pfeifer, C. (2016). Life satisfaction in Germany after reunification: Additional insights on the pattern of convergence. Jahrb\u00fccher f\u00fcr National\u00f6konomie und Statistik, 236(2), 217-239.{/ref} These studies provide two main insights:</p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, the gap is partly driven by differences in household income and employment. But this is not the only aspect; even after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic differences, the East-West gap remains significant.</p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Germany’s happiness gap over time</h4>\n\n\n\n<p>And second, the gap has been narrowing in recent years, as the chart shows. In fact, the finding that the gap is narrowing is true both for the raw average differences, as well as for the ‘conditional differences’ (i.e. the differences that are estimated after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics).</p>\n\n\n\n<h6>Trends in life satisfaction for East and West Germany, 1992-2013</h6>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"357\" height=\"550\" src=\"https://ourworldindata.org/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-357x550.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11307\" srcset=\"https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-357x550.png 357w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-97x150.png 97w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-260x400.png 260w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016-768x1183.png 768w, https://owid.cloud/app/uploads/2017/04/East-West-German-Happiness-gaps-Petrunyk-and-Pfeifer-2016.png 952w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 357px) 100vw, 357px\" /></a></figure></div>\n\n\n\n<p>The observation that socioeconomic and demographic differences do not fully predict the observed East-West differences in self-reported happiness is related to a broader empirical phenomenon: Culture and history matter for self-reported life satisfaction\u2014and in particular, ex-communist countries tend to have a lower subjective well-being than other countries with comparable levels of economic development.</p>\n",
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