He provides some evidence that satisfaction doesn’t correlate with momentary wellbeing. However, the WHR’s own data finds a highly statistically significant correlation between positive affect and life satisfaction on the national level (Tables 8–10; FWIW it’s likely that they don’t find the same for negative affect because linear models don’t find additional explanatory power in intercorrelated variables).
I think Yasha is particularly concerned about comparisons across countries.
But perhaps the biggest problem with the World Happiness Report is that metrics of self-reported life satisfaction don’t seem to correlate particularly well with other kinds of things we clearly care about when we talk about happiness. At a minimum, you would expect the happiest countries in the world to have some of the lowest incidences of adverse mental health outcomes. But it turns out that the residents of the same Scandinavian countries that the press dutifully celebrates for their supposed happiness are especially likely to take antidepressants or even to commit suicide. While Finland and Sweden consistently rank at the top of the happiness league table, for example, both countries have also persistently experienced some of the highest suicide rates in the European Union, ranking in the top five EU countries according to one recent statistic.
Southern European countries have the lowest age-standardised disease burden per capita from self-harm in the Europe, but not the highest life satisfaction.
There correlation between life satisfaction and happiness across countries is positive, but very weak.
Thanks for the post, Huw.
I think Yasha is particularly concerned about comparisons across countries.
Southern European countries have the lowest age-standardised disease burden per capita from self-harm in the Europe, but not the highest life satisfaction.
There correlation between life satisfaction and happiness across countries is positive, but very weak.