Great leap forward for Life Satisfaction in China, Indonesia
30-Oct-14, Financial Times
FT.jpg "Great leap forward (c)FT")
Image: FT
People in emerging markets are a lot more satisfied than they were in 2007, according to a survey by Pew Research, with Indonesians and the Chinese surging ahead in their accumulation of contentment.
By interviewing 47,643 people in 43 countries and comparing the results to a similar survey undertaken in 2007, Pew concluded that the greatest increases in “life satisfaction” occurred in Asia. In Indonesia, satisfaction levels increased by 35 percentage points over the past seven years; in China, satisfaction grew by 26 percentage points.
When asked to rate what is most important to them in life, people across the world list the same things: health, a good education for their children, and safety from crime. Owning a cellphone or a car do not matter so much and having access to the internet is at the bottom of the list.