Chinese people’s happiness has steadily grown over the past decade in step with improvement to their objective material conditions.

Nursing home residents learn traditional Chinese painting in the Xinxing Beili community of Tianjin on Oct. 29, 2014. A new approach to community support for the elderly has promoted the happiness of the elderly.

 

In 2012, the research group of the National Social Science Fund Program jointly compiled the Chinese Citizens Happiness Index with the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) of the National Survey Research Center (NSRC) at Renmin University of China. Using rigorous scientific research methods, it was the first sample survey nationwide assessing residents’ happiness. With points from zero to 100 in various areas, the overall score of Chinese residents’ happiness and scores of 10 dimensions were obtained through analysis of effective samples of 5,946 people. The survey indicated that the Chinese Citizens Happiness Scale is applicable nationwide based on its reliability and validity.

Happiness higher in 2012
According to the survey, the total score of Chinese residents’ happiness was 71.12, up compared to 61.84 in the sample survey of 2005. The figure was compiled based on surveys of 3,710 people in six cities: Beijing; Shenyang, Liaoning Province; Xi’an, Shaanxi Province; Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province; Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; and Kunming, Yunnan Province. Indexes with scores over 70 points were family atmosphere (77.3), personal growth (76.72), social confidence (76.13), self-acceptance (73.89), target value (72.08) and interpersonal adaptation (70.98). The other four indexes all scored over 64 points, with mindset balance (69.5), mental health (65.41), contentment (64.83) and physical health (64.24). In the 2005 survey, personal growth scored the highest among all indexes with 68.76. Contentment scored the lowest at 48.2.
 

Women less happy than men
From the perspective of gender, the survey indicated that female residents’ general happiness scored 70.56, lower than males’ 71.61. In terms of concrete indexes, there were large score gaps in physical health and mental health between women and men, respectively reaching 4.7 points and 4.5 points. Men scored higher than women in mental health, target value, physical health and interpersonal atmosphere, while women scored higher than men in contentment. Differences in these aspects are both related to mental and physical differences between the two genders and socio-cultural factors. 

U-shaped age distribution
Samples were divided into 14 age groups in intervals of five years in order to investigate residents’ happiness at different ages. In general, happiness of residents under 75 roughly features a U–shaped distribution. Three age groups with lower happiness in this survey were groups aged 45 to 49, 55 to 59 and 70 to 74. All groups aged over 75 featured a continuously downward tendency.

Education linked to happiness
Samples were divided into four groups according to highest levels of education including primary school and below, middle school, high school, college and above. The total score of happiness and scores of the nine aforementioned aspects presented an upward tendency with different levels of education. Only the score of social confidence showed the opposite trend. However, scores of social confidence at different levels of education were all over 72 points. Further investigation indicated that groups of primary school and below differed much from other groups in physical health and interpersonal adaptation. Compared with groups of college and above, there was a gap of 10 or more points. It can be concluded that to some extent a high level of education can promote happiness.

Higher incomes, higher happiness
The survey indicated an obvious link between income and happiness. The correlation coefficient, a measure that determines the degree to which two variables’ movements are associated, between individual annual income and the total score was 0.162. Samples were divided into 10 groups according to individual annual income. The result showed that there were differences in total scores of happiness between different groups, generally showing happiness tended to increase with rise of income.

Higher happiness in urban areas
 Samples were divided into urban group and rural group according to residence. The result was that the urban group surpassed the rural group in terms of the total score of happiness and scores in the nine aspects, but scored lower than the rural group in social confidence. The biggest gap lay in physical health, which polled 6.47 points. Gaps were all over three points in scores of contentment, mental health, social confidence and mindset balance. Currently, development in urban areas is more advanced than in rural areas. Although urban life is wrought with many problems, better conditions for existing and development have had a positive impact on residents’ happiness.

Influence of local development
According to different levels of development in different areas, samples were divided into four groups of eastern, northeastern, central and western regions. Results indicated that the total score of happiness of the four groups were respectively 72.15, 72.14, 70.86 and 69.59. Groups in eastern and northeastern regions polled higher than groups in central and western regions in total scores of happiness. Groups in the central region polled higher than groups in the western region. This was corresponding to different levels of economic and social development in four areas.

Further analysis revealed that scores in indexes such as contentment, mental health, self-acceptance, physical health, mindset balance and interpersonal adaptation showed a tendency which was in accordance with the total score of happiness.
 

Social confidence for the eastern region was lower than respective scores in other regions. Family atmosphere for the northeastern region was higher than respective scores in other regions. There was no significant difference in personal growth and target value between the four regions. 

Reflection on the survey
Firstly, happiness is still related to wealth. Considering the impact on happiness individual income, regional affluence and urban-rural differences have had, Chinese residents’ happiness has indeed been promoted. This is closely connected with improvement of objective material conditions. Therefore, pushing forward economic development and constantly improving the masses’ objective material conditions should drive China’s public policy in future.
 

Secondly, importance should be attached to the mental conflict reflected from social confidence. Social confidence shows people’s mental experience to social development tendency including judgment to quality and pros and cons of social development. Those who have benefited a lot from the social transition and are well positioned have lower social confidence. This is to a large extent related to relevant groups’ higher level of requirements that are not satisfied. They are just people’s common requirements at a high level of social development. Careful analysis and continuous attention are needed to make reform and development meet the public’s high demands and push forward comprehensive development.

 Thirdly, attention should be paid to the sharp decline of happiness for the elderly. Physical changes are inevitable in advanced age, but sound social insurance and support systems can benefit the aged mentally and physically. Therefore, families and society should offer more care and love to the elderly, better satisfy their mental demands and help them overcome possible problems in interpersonal adaptation.
 

Xing Zhanjun is a professor from the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University.