Effects of Objective and Subjective Income Comparisons on Subjective Wellbeing

We present results from the Cape Area Panel Study dataset investigating how social comparisons with regard to income affect subjective wellbeing of both young adults and parents. Objective and subjective measures of relative income are used, assessing how individuals compare themselves to others and to themselves over time. Strong evidence is found to suggest that social comparisons affect subjective wellbeing, both relative to neighbours and relative to oneself in the past. Objective measures of wellbeing also influence happiness, but this is more prevalent in interpersonal than inter-temporal comparisons. It is possible that some adaptation does occur within individuals over time.JEL Classification: DO1, D31, D60, H00, I31Brennan Hodkinson is a Environmental–Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU) Research Associate Financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), through the Environment for Development (EfD) initiative, is gratefully acknowledged. Martine Visser is Associate Professor within School of Economics at the University of Cape Town. She is on the Executive Committees of the Environmental–Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU) and the Research Unit for Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics (RUBEN) and a research associate of the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). She is also on the Steering Committee for the African Climate Development Initiative (ACDI)