Is one's happiness associated with their spouse's income, and vice versa? Insights from China

Abstract

This study empirically explores the relationship between spousal income and individual happiness in contemporary China.Utilizing three waves of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data set, we employ a methodological approach involving an ordinal logit model, nearest neighbor matching, inverse probability weighting methods, and a series of robustness tests.The findings reveal an asymmetric association between spousal income and one's happiness within the family context. Husband's happiness is more positively linked to his own income than his wife's income, whereas the wife's happiness is positively associated with her husband's income rather than her own. This association is more pronounced for women from rural areas and lower‐income households, influenced by traditional gender ideologies and limited economic and political participation.Our results highlight that women in contemporary China, especially those in rural areas and from lower‐income households, continue to rely on the traditional gender role arrangement for greater well‐being, emphasizing the enduring influence of spousal income on women's happiness.