Is there a happy culture? Multiple paths to national subjective well-being

Abstract

This study relies on a novel research approach to analyze how national income, income inequality, institutional quality, and culture combine to generate different recipes for eliciting subjective well-being (SWB). Specifically, we use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, which facilitates the study of the combinations of conditions (paths) that act synergistically to achieve a certain outcome. The study uses data from over 70 countries and finds several combinations of conditions for different periods which lead equally to high SWB, as well as several configurations equally leading to low SWB. Additionally, we find that high national income, income equality, high-quality institutions, and each of the cultural dimensions are not necessary conditions for high SWB. However, high-power distance and low individualism are necessary conditions to achieve low SWB. The results for a few individual conditions are in line with previous studies, but we also determine that the effect of the remainder depends on the other conditions present in each combination. Overall, the results deliver an original and contrasting view of the factors leading to a nation's high or low SWB.