Happiness Revolution in Europe

There is now a Happiness Revolution to go along with the earlier Industrial and Demographic Revolutions. The Happiness Revolution is captured using people's happiness scores, as reported in public surveys, whereas the earlier revolutions are reflected by economic production (such as GDP) and life expectancy. Increases in happiness are chiefly due to social-science welfare policies that alleviate people's foremost concerns - those centering on family life, health, and jobs. This Element traces the course of the Happiness Revolution throughout Europe since the 1980s when comprehensive and comparable data on people's happiness first become available. Which countries lead and which lag? How is happiness distributed - are the rich happier than the poor, men than women, old than young, native than foreign born, city than countryfolk? How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted happiness? These are among the questions addressed in this Element. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Happiness rankings and trends; 3. Long term trends in happiness: driving forces; 4. Happiness differences and inequality; 5. Happiness differences among demographic groups; 6. COVID-19 postscript; 7. Summary and Conclusions; References.

Summary

This Element explores the Happiness Revolution, a shift in happiness levels primarily driven by social-science welfare policies. It examines the distribution of happiness across Europe since the 1980s, focusing on which countries lead and which lag, and the impact of COVID-19. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Product details

• Authors: Richard Ainley Easterlin, Richard Ainley (Economics Department Easterlin, Kelsey James O'Connor
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.03.2025
• EAN: 9781009493659
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0949365-9
• No. of pages: 75
• Series: Elements in Economics of European Integration
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > Social education, social work; Social sciences, law, business > Business > General, dictionaries; Europe, positive psychology, Social issues & processes, economic growth, Infectious & contagious diseases, Welfare economics, Social impact of disasters, Psychological theory & schools of thought, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / International / Economics & Trade, Welfare & benefit systems, Welfare and benefit systems, Social Integration and assimilation, Social impact of disasters / accidents (natural or man-made), Human coronaviruses