International differences in the determinants of life satisfaction

This paper uses measures of life satisfaction, drawn from the first wave of well-being data now being collected annually by the Gallup World Poll, to investigate differences across countries, cultures and regions, in the factors linked to differences in life satisfaction. We first examine two-level global and regional equations for life satisfaction covering 105 countries, paying special attention to several key variables: income, age, attainment of basic needs (as represented by presence of running water, and having sufficient food), having someone to count on, perceived corruption levels, and perceived sense of freedom. We then estimate and compare the coefficients of cross-sectional life satisfaction equations for each of the 105 countries. While many of the key variables affecting life satisfaction have quite comparable effects in almost all countries, we are nonetheless able to identify some interesting regional and other cross-country differences