Chapter 02 of 5
Does Money Buy Happiness?
A famous income limit — and how researchers overturned it together.
- 1974
The Easterlin paradox
Economist Richard Easterlin noticed that within a country, richer people were happier — but as countries grew richer, average happiness didn't seem to rise.
- Debate
Paradox questioned
Later economists found evidence that richer countries are happier on average, and the paradox remains debated.
- 2010
The $75,000 study
Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton analysed hundreds of thousands of US survey responses about income and wellbeing.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What did the 2023 joint study conclude about income and happiness?
🌤️ The Science of Happiness
- 01The Hedonic TreadmillWhy new cars, pay rises and even lottery wins tend to wear off.
- 02Does Money Buy Happiness?A famous income limit — and how researchers overturned it together.
- 03The 80-Year StudyWhat one of the longest studies of adult life found matters most.
- 04Experiences vs ThingsWhere spending, and planning, actually bring joy.
- 05What Actually HelpsHappiness habits that hold up — and claims that don't.