Population happiness, life satisfaction and well-being in transitional societies

Kseniya Kizilova V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4, Svobody, Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine; the World Values Survey Association; Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria, socjour@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5032-3815
Christian Haerpfer University of Vienna; World Values Survey Association; IPSA Research Committee 17 «Comparative Public Opinion», Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7350-9049
Oleksandr Kizilov V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University 4, Svobody, Kharkiv 61022, Ukraine; East-Ukrainian Foundation for Social Research 6, Svobody, Kharkiv 61022 Ukraine, a.kizilov@gmail.com

Keywords: transitional societies, Post-Soviet Eurasia, population happiness, level of well-being, life satisfaction, subjective indicators

Abstract

Current paper deals with the analysis of dynamics of the level of well-being in the countries of Post-Soviet Eurasia who in 1991 entered the path of democratic transition. The paper focuses on subjective indicators of well-being, among them general life satisfaction and feeling of happiness. These indicators are used for calculation of the index of subjective wellbeing. The data used for analysis comprises from the World Values Survey wave 1 (1981-1984) to wave 6 (2010-2014). The following 10 countries of Post-Soviet Eurasia are included into the analysis: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The paper provides overview of dynamics of the level of subjective well-being in the mentioned countries in period of transition. Comparative overview of the level of subjective well-being in Post-Soviet Eurasia and other world regions is presented. Multivariate analysis is used to determine the main factors influencing subjective well-being in different parts of the world.

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Author Biographies

Kseniya Kizilova, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4, Svobody, Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine; the World Values Survey Association; Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria, socjour@gmail.com

Research Fellow at the Department of Methods of Sociological Research of the School of Sociology of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University; Secretary of the World Values Survey Association; Vice-Director at the Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria.

Christian Haerpfer, University of Vienna; World Values Survey Association; IPSA Research Committee 17 «Comparative Public Opinion», Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria.

Professor of Political Science at the University of Vienna; President of the World Values Survey Association; Chair of IPSA Research Committee 17 «Comparative Public Opinion», Director of the Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Vienna, Austria.

Oleksandr Kizilov, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University 4, Svobody, Kharkiv 61022, Ukraine; East-Ukrainian Foundation for Social Research 6, Svobody, Kharkiv 61022 Ukraine, a.kizilov@gmail.com

Head of Department of Methods of Sociological Research of the School of Sociology, Director of Social and Humanitarian Research Institute, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University; Executive Director of the East-Ukrainian Foundation for Social Research.

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