State of Happiness in Hong Kong 2006

1
State of Happiness in Hong Kong 2006

• An IHSS Study
• Lok Sang Ho
• Centre for Public Policy Studies
• Lingnan University

2
How happy are HK people?

• Question
• Overall, How happy are you?
• 0 indicates very unhappy
• 10 indicates very happy
• The score is then multiplied by100

3
Are you happier over the last 10 years?

• Question
• Are you happier over the last 10 years?
• 0 ------------------------ 5 -----------------?
  10
• (Happiness Decreased
• a lot)
  (No change) (Increased a lot)
• The score is then multiplied by 100

4
Happiness Index Are HK people happier over the
last 10years, 2005 06
5
Happiness Index by Age Groups 2006
6
Main Findings in 2006 Survey

• Overall reading is 70.58, still a very good
  result by international standards. Working
  population happier than last year non-working
  population less happy than last year.
• Young people in their 20s clearly happier than
  last year, at 69.86, as compared to 67.39.

7
Happiness Index by Age Groups (Working Population
only) 2005 and 06
8
Inequality-adjusted happiness index

• Adjusted with reference to the dispersion of
  happiness indices across groups
• We have not done the adjustment but disparity
  has narrowed across age groups in 2006

9
(No Transcript)
10
Personal Income by Age Groups 2005
11
Personal Income by Age Groups 2006
12
Happiness Index by Occupation 2005 06
13
Happiness Index by Occupation 2005 06
14
Sources of Changes?

• Improving job market for young people (Compared
  with last year, more young people move to higher
  income category)
• Happiness index for clerical staff and elementary
  occupation also increased significantly this
  year. This reflects the labour market in 2006 is
  much better.
• Possible factors that trouble the elderly people
  and housewife
• less company with family members busy with their
  work?

15
Happiness by Sex
16
Happiness Index by Marital Status
17
Happiness Index by Spiritual Practice vs No
Spiritual Practice
18
Happiness Index by Education 2006
19
Happiness Index by Education and Income
Low personal income lt6999 High personal income
gt7000
20
Happiness by Industry in 2006
21
Life Goals
22
Major Concerns of HK People Health Quite A
Concern 10 denotes Most Worried (22.3)
Mean6.78 n820
23
Health Care Expenses Quite a Concern 10 denotes
Most Worried (16.3)
24
Income Not Meeting Needs Some 7.9 are most
worried
25
Worries over Post Retirement Expenses 13.3 Most
Worried
26
Education Cost A Major Concern for 8.5 of
Families with Children
27
Relations with Family Members 7.6 Most Worried
28
Relations with Colleagues Usually not a concern
29
Relations with Superiors at Work Generally Not a
Concern
30
Worried about inadequate democracy a significant
minority- some 6.6 most worried
31
Judicial Independence and Lawfulness 11.2
Most Worried
32
Regression Analysis
Dependent variable Happiness Index
10 Sig. and 1 Sig.
33
Importance of Open Election of HKSAR Chief
Executive vs. Civic Liberties on Happiness
34
Conclusions

• Hong Kong people are generally happy
• Young people much happier over last year
• Loving, caring people are the happiest
• Love starts from the family
• Spiritually inclined people happier than those
  after material gains
• Unemployment, medical spending, retirement
  concerns, relations with family members are key
  sources of unhappiness in HK Policy relieving
  these worries will promote happiness
• Educated people usually happier, but effect is
  mainly through the effects of education
  attainment on income

35
Conclusions

• Public policy should make a serious attempt to
  alleviate these worries
• Schools should teach students how to cope with
  lifes challenges they do not seem to have done
  a good job in this regard
• Young people are much happier in 2006, benefiting
  from the brighter economic prospects
• Long work-hours probably are making non-working
  members of the family unhappy
• Hong Kong still a very attractive place to live
  in.