There is now a great deal of micro-econometric evidence, both cross-section and panel, showing that income is … measures of utility, and resolve the Easterlin paradox by appealing to income comparisons: these can be to others (social …

in GNP per head. At the same time, a micro literature has typically found positive correlations between individual income … presence of relative income terms in the utility function. Income may be evaluated relative to others (social comparison) or to … oneself in the past (habituation). We review the evidence on relative income from the subjective well-being literature. We …