Happiness and domain satisfaction in Turkey

Abstract

Literature on the economics of happiness usually indicates that happiness depends on actual life circumstances (income, health, marital status and cetera). In contrast, a psychological view of happiness suggests that subjective satisfaction with actual life domains comes together to predict happiness. Little is known about the relation of happiness to the different life domains in developing countries. The present study explores the factors that shape individual happiness at a micro-level in Turkey, in terms of satisfaction with several life domains. Using the 2008-2012 Turkish life satisfaction survey (n = 36.362) this study adds to existing literature on happiness in developing countries in its focus on Turkey. The data reveal that among the satisfaction-related predictor variables, satisfaction with income, marriage, and health were the top three predictors of happiness in all years. Implications and suggestions for future studies are discussed.