The Gender Happiness Gap in China: Composition Effect or Coefficient Effect?

Abstract

This study revisits the puzzle of the gender happiness gap in China based on data from the China General Social Survey between 2008 and 2017. Decomposition analyses in this study indicate that women are happier than men mainly due to women’s higher positive responsiveness to happiness determinants (the coefficient effect) rather than a higher level of objective achievements (the composition effect). Women obtain happiness from education despite not having a higher education, and women get more happiness from spousal income instead of personal income. Within families, the study finds that the greater the income gap between husband and wife, the greater the gender happiness gap. To help explain this gap, the study demonstrates that women living under traditional gender norms have higher evaluation of their education when they obtain lower levels of education than those living under egalitarian norms. HIGHLIGHTS In China, women’s objective achievements in education and income have improved but remain lower than men’s. Women are happier than men due to higher responsiveness to achievements. The income gap between husbands and wives increases women’s subjective well-being and reduces men’s. The traditional belief that men are more capable leaves women worse off in education. The gender happiness gap is much larger in urban areas and eastern regions of China.