Hypertension and Happiness Across Nations

35 Pages Posted: 24 Feb 2007 Last revised: 5 Nov 2022

See all articles by David G. Blanchflower

David G. Blanchflower

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); University of Stirling - Department of Economics

Andrew J. Oswald

University of Warwick - Department of Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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Date Written: February 2007

Abstract

A modern statistical literature argues that countries such as Denmark are particularly happy while nations like East Germany are not. Are such claims credible? The paper explores this by building on two ideas. The first is that psychological well-being and high blood-pressure are thought by clinicians to be inversely correlated. The second is that blood-pressure problems can be reported more objectively than mental well-being. Using data on 16 countries, the paper finds that happier nations report lower levels of hypertension. The paper's results are consistent with, and seem to offer a step towards the validation of, cross-national estimates of well-being.

Suggested Citation

Blanchflower, David G. and Oswald, Andrew J., Hypertension and Happiness Across Nations (February 2007). NBER Working Paper No. w12934, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=965126

David G. Blanchflower (Contact Author)

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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University of Stirling - Department of Economics ( email )

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Andrew J. Oswald

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