The determinants of subjective well-being: An assessment for Russian cities based on new data
Natalia Starodubets
Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Irina Turgel
Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Irina Turgel
Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TERRA ECONOMICUS, Vol. 23, No 1, 2025/03/26
Citation: Starodubets N., Turgel I. (2025). The determinants of subjective well-being: An assessment for Russian cities based on new data. Terra Economicus 23(1), 51–65. DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2025-23-1-51-65
Acknowledgment: The research funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Ural Federal University project within the Priority-2030 Program) is gratefully acknowledged.
Happiness is what people always seek. In recent decades, there has been a desire to measure happiness and understand what influences it, considering the place of residence. Given the increasing global importance of cities and their role in Russian state policy to improve quality of life, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence citizens’ subjective well-being. This research aims to study the impact of social, economic, environmental, and urban factors on the subjective well-being of residents in Russian cities. To achieve this goal, we reviewed empirical studies focused on the influence of various factors on subjective well-being. Then we used a dataset published for the first-time on VEB.RF platform. Related data characterize the quality of life in 115 cities in Russia. We justify the use of a double log multiple regression model to identify the domains of subjective well-being. The calculations show that satisfaction with cultural life, safety, environmental conditions, and beautification of urban areas are the most significant determinants. It was found that city size does not affect subjective well-being determinants. Aligning government and municipal policies to key well-being domains can attract citizens and support sustainable development by creating inclusive, safe and resilient cities.
Keywords: subjective well-being; happiness; quality of life; econometric modeling; Russian cities
JEL codes: R100, R110
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Publisher: Southern Federal University
ISSN: 2073-6606
ISSN: 2073-6606