Life satisfaction among the poorest of the poor: a study on the impact of poverty on the subjective well-being of urban slum residents in India

This study investigates the level and predictors of life satisfaction in people living in slums in Kolkata, India. Participants of six slum settlements (n = 164; 91% female) were interviewed and data on age, gender, poverty indicators and life satisfaction were collected. The results showed that the level of global life satisfaction in this sample did not significantly differ from the level of global life satisfaction measured in a representative sample from the general population of another large Indian city. In addition, the slum residents were most satisfied with their social relationships and least satisfied with their finances. Global life satisfaction was predicted by age, income and non-monetary poverty indicators (deprivation of health, education and living standards) (R2 15.4%). In conclusion, the current study replicates previous research which showed that people living in slums tend to report higher levels of life satisfaction than might be expected, given the objective circumstances of their lives. The results further suggest that factors other than objective poverty make life more, or less, satisfying. The findings are discussed in terms of theory about psychological adaptation to poverty