State of Happiness in Hong Kong 2006

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State of Happiness in Hong Kong 2006

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

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How happy are HK people?

• Question
• Overall, How happy are you?
• 0 indicates very unhappy
• 10 indicates very happy
• The score is then multiplied by 100

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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

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Happiness Index Are HK people happier over the
last 10 years, 2005 06
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Happiness Index by Age Groups 2006
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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.

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Happiness Index by Age Groups (Working Population
only) 2005 and 06
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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

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(No Transcript)
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Personal Income by Age Groups 2005
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Personal Income by Age Groups 2006
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Happiness Index by Occupation 2005 06
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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?

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

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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.