We explore the relationships between subjective well-being and income, as seen across individuals within a given … higher in countries with greater GDP per capita. The magnitude of the satisfaction-income gradient is roughly the same … whether we compare individuals or countries, suggesting that absolute income plays an important role in influencing well …

their lives. Much of the early research concluded that the role of income in determining well-being was limited, and that … only income relative to others was related to well-being. In this paper, we review the evidence to assess the importance of … absolute and relative income in determining well-being. Our research suggests that absolute income plays a major role in …