Subjective wellbeing of the Chinese post-reform generation: influence of family income and urban/rural origin on the happiness of Chinese students

This paper reports on a study among 711 Chinese students from the post-reform generation, comparing the subjective wellbeing of urban and rural students from different family income groups, using the Personal Wellbeing Index of the International Wellbeing Group. Urban participants were found to be more satisfied with their standard of living and their life-achievements than their rural counterparts, but no differences were found between these two groups for happiness, overall satisfaction with life, and the other five Personal Wellbeing Index satisfaction domains. In terms of family income level, participants from higher income families were found to be happier than participants from lower income families, and they were significantly more satisfied with their life (overall), as well as with their standard of living, life-achievement, personal relationships, feeling part of the community, and future (financial) security.