Статистический анализ и моделирование динамики удовлетворенности жизнью в России: возрастной аспект

Abstract

The author examines life satisfaction of Russian citizens and identifies its main trends. Life satisfaction is an important indicator of life quality in each country. At the same time, modern studies have shown that age-life satisfaction profiles in developed countries have U-shaped forms. The data of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey - Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE) from age perspectives for the period of 1994-2013 were analyzed. Russian data indicate that the level of life satisfaction decreases with older ages: young respondents are happier, while aged people are less satisfied with their lives. Dynamics of life satisfaction level during 1994-2013 had a positive trend from age perspectives: respondents in all age groups had become more satisfied with their lives by 2013. On the basis of ARIMA-models for life satisfaction the forecast until 2019 has been simulated. The results demonstrate that life satisfaction gap will remain in different age groups. Young population (under 20 years) will be the happiest in Russia and the highest rates of life dissatisfaction will be observed in the oldest age group (over 60 years). Note also that a gender gap in life satisfaction remains in the older age group (over 60 years). In the first place, this is caused by feminization of the older population.