Subjective Well-being of Chinese Elderly: A Comparative Analysis among Urban China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

This paper investigates the relative importance of living arrangement and social participation for the elderly’s subjective well-being (happiness) in three Chinese societies (Hong Kong, urban China and Taiwan) with different levels of development. Based on comparable survey data, we find that co-residence with children is less closely associated with the elderly’s psychological well-being in the more developed society. The elderly in Hong Kong who live independently with a spouse are in a significantly better emotional state than those living with adult children and grandchildren. Social participation has a greater positive effect on subjective well-being among the aged in Hong Kong than among those in urban China and Taiwan. Furthermore, elderly women may benefit more from independent living and social engagement than their male counterparts. These findings suggest that encouraging social participation among the elderly may be an effective way to enhance their well-being and achieve active aging