The Effects of Postmaterialist Values on Average Life Satisfaction at the Country Level: What Generates Differences in Subjective Well-Being among European Countries?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to clarify the social mechanisms that generate differences in the average life satisfaction among European countries by specifying the latent structures of life satisfaction. For this purpose, data from the European Values Study conducted from 2017 to 2020 (EVS 2017) were analyzed using finite mixtures of regression models. The results revealed that the respondents to the EVS 2017 could be categorized into two latent groups: a group dominated by materialist values and a group characterized by postmaterialist values. The results also imply that postmaterialist values increase average life satisfaction at the country level and are positively associated with economic prosperity and political stability at the country level. Consequently, the effect of postmaterialist values on life satisfaction is related to social inequalities among European countries. Finally, the sociological implications of these findings are discussed.