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Self-assessment of the feeling of happiness (May 2018)

Press release by Yulia Sakhno

On May 18-30, 2018, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted an all-Ukrainian public opinion poll. Data were collected from 2025 respondents living in 108 settlements in all oblasts of Ukraine (except for the AR of Crimea) with the method of personal interviewing (CAPI – computer-assisted personal interviewing). The sample was stochastic, and it is representative of the population of Ukraine aged 18 and above.

In Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts survey was conducted only in the territories that are controlled by the Ukrainian government.

The statistical sampling error (with a probability of 0.95 and for a design effect of 1.5) does not exceed:

3.3% — for indexes close to 50%,

2.8% — for indexes close to 25%,

2.0% — for indexes close to 10%,

1.4% — for indexes close to 5%.

 

More than half of the Ukrainians consider themselves to be happy. According to the results of a survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, in May 2018, 63% of the Ukrainians felt happy or rather happy, 16% felt partly happy, partly not, and 17% were unlucky or rather unlucky.


 

Compared to the last year, the share of happy ones increased by 10 percentage points: from 53% in May 2017 to 63% in May 2018. One of the reasons of such change may be some improvement in the financial well-being of the population: according to the self-assessment results, the share of not poor people grew from 30% to 37% during the year.

* For 2012-2013, the average annual indicator is given. The level of happiness is the percentage of those who consider themselves to be happy / more likely to be a happy person. The level of well-being is the percentage of those who have money not only for food and clothing.

The sense of happiness depends on many factors, including socio-demographic characteristics, quality of life, social environment, etc.

The results of the survey show that young people are generally happier than older ones, and the level of happiness decreases almost linearly with age. In 2018, among young people aged 18-29, 79% felt happy, among those 30-39 years old - 72%, 40-49 years old - 65%, 50-59 years - 57%, 60-69 years - 47% , older than 70 years - 45%. Reduce in the proportion of happy people with the age is associated with deterioration of health, as well as with a worse material situation and loneliness, which elderly often face.

 

The higher is the level of well-being, the more people feel happy. Thus, among the poorest (not enough money even for food), 40% called themselves happy, among those who have money only for food - 58%, among people with average income (enough for food, clothes, may save some) - 74%, among people with an income that is above average (can buy expensive items) - 85%.

Health is a very important condition for a sense of happiness: among those who have very good health, 88% feel happy, among those with very poor health, only 18% are happy.

By habitat, residents of the Western region tend to feel a little happier: in May 2018, in the Western region, 68% felt happy, in the Central region - 63%, in the South region - 59%, in the Eastern region - 60%.

Commentary of V.Paniotto, General Director of KIIS

The increase in the level of happiness of the Ukrainian population is a thing that is very pleasant to hear. There is, however, the possibility that part of this dynamics is related to methodological reasons. Previous omnibus studies, which had questions about happiness, were obtained with the use of paper questionnaires.

In September 2017, KIIS switched to more advanced research technology and started using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview). And this research was also conducted on the new technology. Interviewers conducted a survey using tablets. This technology provides you with the better control of the interviewer giving the information about several parameters (for example, GPS shows if it really was in the village that got to the sample), which increased the quality of data. But so far we can not assess whether technology change has a significant impact on the change in indicators, this is the subject of further research.

 

ADDITION

Table 1. Distribution of answers to the question “Dou you consider yourself a happy person?”, May 2018, %

  %
Do you consider yourself a happy person? Yes 37.1
Rather yes, than no 25.6
Both yes and no 16.2
Rather no than yes 7.8
No 8.9
Difficult to say / Denial 4.3
TOTAL 100 

 

Table 2. Distribution of answers to the question “Dou you consider yourself a happy person?” by age, May 2018, %

  Age (6 age groups)
18-29 y.o. 30-39 y.o. 40-49 y.o. 50-59 y.o. 60-69 y.o. 70+ y.o. TOTAL
Do you consider yourself a happy person? Yes 52.7 47.1 33.9 29.9 22.7 26.0 37.1
Rather yes, than no 26.0 25.0 30.9 27.4 24.1 18.8 25.6
Both yes and no 11.3 14.2 16.2 20.4 19.6 18.2 16.2
Rather no than yes 5.1 5.9 6.2 8.0 11.0 13.1 7.8
No 3.3 3.1 10.0 9.1 14.2 19.2 8.9
Difficult to say / Denial 1.6 4.7 2.8 5.2 8.5 4.7 4.3
TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Table 3. Distribution of answers to the question “Dou you consider yourself a happy person?” by the self-assessment of financial well-being, May 2018, %

  Take a look at the card, please, and tell me which of the statements does fit your family's financial situation the best?
We do not have enough money even for food We have money for food but buying clothes is troublesome We have money for food, clothes, and we can save some We can afford to buy some expensive things / We can afford to buy everything we want TOTAL
Do you consider yourself a happy person? Yes 21.3 35.0 42.5 50.4 37.1
Rather yes, than no 18.8 22.7 31.8 34.2 25.6
Both yes and no 16.4 18.8 13.7 11.4 16.2
Rather no than yes 13.2 10.5 3.6 1.5 7.8
No 26.9 7.3 5.5 2.5 8.9
Difficult to say / Denial 3.3 5.8 2.9 .0 4.3
TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Table 4. Distribution of answers to the question “Dou you consider yourself a happy person?” by the self-assessment of health status, May 2018, %

  How would you evaluate your health?
Very good Good Mediocre (neither good nor bad) Bad Very bad TOTAL
Do you consider yourself a happy person? Yes 68.5 50.2 31.4 20.0 8.7 37.1
Rather yes, than no 19.3 30.7 27.4 17.6 9.4 25.6
Both yes and no 3.9 10.0 23.0 15.9 16.8 16.2
Rather no than yes 1.9 4.2 7.1 16.4 24.0 7.8
No 1.9 2.6 6.9 25.1 33.4 8.9
Difficult to say / Denial 4.5 2.2 4.2 5.0 7.8 4.3
TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Table 5. Distribution of answers to the question “Dou you consider yourself a happy person?” by macroregions, May 2018, %

  4 Macroregions
Western Central Southern Eastern TOTAL
Do you consider yourself a happy person? Yes 44.1 31.8 37.5 36.4 37.1
Rather yes than no 24.3 30.9 21.1 23.3 25.6
Both yes and no 11.8 20.1 19.5 8.7 16.2
Rather no than yes 8.0 6.7 6.8 11.8 7.8
No 7.0 6.9 10.4 15.5 8.9
Difficult to say / denial 4.8 3.6 4.7 4.3 4.3
ÐÀÇÎÌ 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Westernmacroregion –  Volynska, Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska, Lvivska, Rivnenska, Ternopilska, Khmelnytska, Chernivets`ka oblasts (regions); Centralmacroregion –  Kyiv city, Kyivs`ka, Vinnytska, Zhytomyrska, Kirovohradska, Poltavska, Sumska, Cherkaska, Chernihivska oblasts; Southmacroregion – Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Mykolaivska, Odeska, Khersonska oblasts; Easternmacroregion –  Kharkivska, Donetska, Luhanska oblasts (without the temporarily occupied territories).

Table 6. Dynamics of the feeling of happiness (2001-2018)*, %

  Do you consider yourself a happy person? TOTAL
Yes Rather yes than no Both yes and no Rather no than yes No Difficult to say
Jan.2001 20.0 18.1 27.5 13.6 18.9 1.9 100
Nov.2002 22.9 26.0 22.4 16.6 10.4 1.8 100
Nov.2003 24.0 28.0 24.0 14.0 8.0 2.0 100
Dec.2005 21.7 25.2 26.8 13.5 11.4 1.3 100
Oct.2006 22.8 29.4 24.9 10.8 9.1 3.0 100
Dec.2007 28.0 26.2 21.2 12.3 10.5 1.8 100
Mar.2008 28.1 28.9 20.8 11.5 7.7 3.1 100
Jun.2009 30.3 28.3 21.1 9.8 7.3 3.2 100
Jun.2010 33.1 31.9 18.9 9.2 5.2 1.7 100
Feb.2011 34.0 29.2 17.0 9.0 7.9 2.9 100
Feb.-Nov.2012 21.8 35.3 26.3 9.0 4.0 3.6 100
Feb.-Nov.2013 24.3 33.8 24.4 9.8 5.3 2.5 100
Feb.2014 22.0 37.7 23.3 8.0 4.3 4.7 100
May.2015 24.4 34.4 20.8 9.8 7.1 3.5 100
May.2016 26.0 28.1 20.8 12.8 8.5 3.7 100
Dec.2016 22.9 31.1 25.2 11.1 7.6 2.0 100
May.2017 24.4 28.7 24.2 12.2 7.3 3.2 100
May.2018 37.1 25.6 16.2 7.8 8.9 4.3 100

* For 2012-2013, the combined average annual indicator is presented. From May 2015, data are provided for Ukraine without the temporarily occupied territories (the AR of Crimea, parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts).

Regarding the commentary contact, please, Yulia Sakhno: j.sakhno@kiis.com.ua

25.7.2018
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