The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Year: 2009
Volume: 1
Issue: 2
Pages: 190-225

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years by many objective measures, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women's happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to men. This decline in relative wellbeing is found across various datasets, measures of subjective wellbeing, demographic groups, and industrialized countries. Relative declines in female happiness have eroded a gender gap in happiness in which women in the 1970s reported higher subjective well-being than did men. These declines have continued and a new gender gap is emerging -- one with higher subjective well-being for men. (JEL I31, J16, J28)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejpol:v:1:y:2009:i:2:p:190-225
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29