Title: Gender and well-being around the world

Authors: Carol Graham; Soumya Chattopadhyay

Addresses: Global Economy and Development Programme, The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA ' School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, and Global Economy and Development Programme, The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA

Abstract: We explore gender differences in reported well-being around the world, both across and within countries - comparing age, income, and education cohorts. We find that women have higher levels of well-being than men, with a few exceptions in low income countries. We also find differences in the standard relationships between key variables - such as marriage and well-being - when differential gender rights are accounted for. We conclude that differences in well-being across genders are affected by the same empirical and methodological factors that drive the paradoxes underlying income and well-being debates, with norms and expectations playing an important mediating role.

Keywords: economic science; psychological science; well-being; gender; women; demographics; global survey; age; income; education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHD.2013.055648

International Journal of Happiness and Development, 2013 Vol.1 No.2, pp.212 - 232

Received: 31 Jan 2013
Accepted: 29 Apr 2013
Published online: 19 Jul 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article