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High life satisfaction reported among small-scale societies with low incomes
Eric D Galbraith1,2,3, Christopher Barrington-Leigh4,5, Sara Miñarro1
1Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona 08193, Spain.
High life satisfaction is achievable even with low monetary income. This study shows Indigenous Peoples and local communities report life satisfaction comparable to wealthy nations, challenging the wealth-happiness link.
Area of Science:
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Sociology
- Anthropology
Background:
- Global surveys indicate a positive correlation between national income and average life satisfaction.
- This trend suggests wealth is necessary for high life satisfaction, potentially overlooking diverse societal structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate life satisfaction in small-scale, nonindustrialized societies.
- To challenge the assumption that high monetary wealth is essential for high life satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Survey conducted among 2,966 individuals from Indigenous Peoples and local communities across 19 global sites.
- Analysis of self-reported life satisfaction levels in relation to monetary income.
Main Results:
- Numerous populations with very low monetary incomes reported high average life satisfaction.
- Life satisfaction levels in these communities were comparable to those in wealthy countries.
Conclusions:
- High life satisfaction can be attained in societies with low monetary wealth.
- Monetary wealth is not a prerequisite for achieving high levels of life satisfaction.
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