Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data

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Standard

Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data. / Kreiner, Claus Thustrup; Olufsen, Isabel Skak.

I: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Bind 203, 11.2022, s. 336-367.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt

Harvard

Kreiner, CT & Olufsen, IS 2022, 'Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data', Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, bind 203, s. 336-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004

APA

Kreiner, C. T., & Olufsen, I. S. (2022). Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 203, 336-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004

Vancouver

Kreiner CT, Olufsen IS. Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. 2022 nov.;203:336-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004

Author

Kreiner, Claus Thustrup ; Olufsen, Isabel Skak. / Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data. I: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. 2022 ; Bind 203. s. 336-367.

Bibtex

@article{f5d8a62519874ec1a2c5ec22ea720783,
title = "Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic?: Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data",
abstract = "This paper decomposes inequality in subjective well-being into inequality due to socioeconomic background (SEB) and meritocratic inequality due to differences in individual merits such as school performance. We measure the meritocratic share of well-being, defined as the share of explained variation in life satisfaction attributable to variation in merits not related to SEB. The empirical evidence from Denmark combines survey information on well-being with administrative data on individual characteristics. We find systematic differences in well-being already in early adulthood, where differences in economic outcomes are not yet visible. At age 18–19, about 40 percent of the inequality in well-being is meritocratic. The role of merits rises to 65–85 percent in midlife (age 40–55), where it is also higher than the role of merits in income inequality. The positive conclusions that inequality in well-being is more meritocratic than income inequality and more meritocratic as people grow older get support by corresponding results using an equal opportunity approach.",
keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, Subjective well-being, Inequality, Intergenerational mobility",
author = "Kreiner, {Claus Thustrup} and Olufsen, {Isabel Skak}",
year = "2022",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004",
language = "English",
volume = "203",
pages = "336--367",
journal = "Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization",
issn = "0167-2681",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic?

T2 - Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data

AU - Kreiner, Claus Thustrup

AU - Olufsen, Isabel Skak

PY - 2022/11

Y1 - 2022/11

N2 - This paper decomposes inequality in subjective well-being into inequality due to socioeconomic background (SEB) and meritocratic inequality due to differences in individual merits such as school performance. We measure the meritocratic share of well-being, defined as the share of explained variation in life satisfaction attributable to variation in merits not related to SEB. The empirical evidence from Denmark combines survey information on well-being with administrative data on individual characteristics. We find systematic differences in well-being already in early adulthood, where differences in economic outcomes are not yet visible. At age 18–19, about 40 percent of the inequality in well-being is meritocratic. The role of merits rises to 65–85 percent in midlife (age 40–55), where it is also higher than the role of merits in income inequality. The positive conclusions that inequality in well-being is more meritocratic than income inequality and more meritocratic as people grow older get support by corresponding results using an equal opportunity approach.

AB - This paper decomposes inequality in subjective well-being into inequality due to socioeconomic background (SEB) and meritocratic inequality due to differences in individual merits such as school performance. We measure the meritocratic share of well-being, defined as the share of explained variation in life satisfaction attributable to variation in merits not related to SEB. The empirical evidence from Denmark combines survey information on well-being with administrative data on individual characteristics. We find systematic differences in well-being already in early adulthood, where differences in economic outcomes are not yet visible. At age 18–19, about 40 percent of the inequality in well-being is meritocratic. The role of merits rises to 65–85 percent in midlife (age 40–55), where it is also higher than the role of merits in income inequality. The positive conclusions that inequality in well-being is more meritocratic than income inequality and more meritocratic as people grow older get support by corresponding results using an equal opportunity approach.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Subjective well-being

KW - Inequality

KW - Intergenerational mobility

U2 - 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.004

M3 - Journal article

VL - 203

SP - 336

EP - 367

JO - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

JF - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

SN - 0167-2681

ER -

ID: 321607695