A demographic perspective on human wellbeing: Concepts, measurement and population heterogeneity

Abstract

This introduction to the 2021 special issue of the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research explores demographic perspectives on human wellbeing across time and space. While the idea of relating demographic parameters to wellbeing has been around for a while, a more concrete research agenda on this topic has only recently gained momentum. Reviewing the research presented in this volume, we show how existing theoretical concepts and methodological tools in demography can be used to make substantial advances in the study of wellbeing. We also touch upon the many challenges researchers face in defining and measuring wellbeing, with the most important debate being about whether the focus should be on objective or subjective measures. The studies discussed here define wellbeing as health and mortality; as income, education or other resources; as happiness or life satisfaction; or as a combination thereof. They cover wellbeing in historical and contemporary populations in high- and low-income countries, and also point out important barriers to research on wellbeing, including the lack of good quality data in many regions. Finally, we highlight the value of considering population heterogeneities when studying wellbeing in order to identify population subgroups who are likely to fall behind, which can have important policy implications.