Import trade liberalization and individual happiness: evidence from chinese general social survey 2010-2015

Abstract

ABSTRACT The happiness of citizens has long been the focus of all national governments. From a perspective of import trade liberalization, this paper uses 2010–2015 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data to analyse whether import trade liberalization can improve national happiness and through which channels. The results show that import trade liberalization can significantly improve individual happiness and promote the happiness of citizens in the central region. When individuals are high-educated or high-income ones, trade liberalization can make them come out of the feelings of unhappiness more quickly. The trade liberalization can consolidate the happiness foundation of rural residents and improve the feelings of very happy of the urban ones. Further mechanism analysis demonstrates that import trade liberalization can improve individual happiness by enhancing individual fitness and marketization of the provinces where the individual is settled.