Marriage is one of the most important decisions in one's life which also
affects the well-being of individuals. Comparing the life satisfaction of
individuals due to marital status could be interesting. The current study
aims to explore the impact of marital status on the self-reported happiness
of individuals in Azerbaijan. Using a cross-sectional data set of 2009
respondents, we empirically estimate the life satisfaction difference due to
the marital status of individuals while stepwise inclusion of a set of
covariates. Estimation results display that marital status is a significant
determinant of happiness in Azerbaijan. With no covariates, no significant
happiness difference was revealed among unmarried, married and widowed people while divorced individuals are significantly less satisfied than
others. All models confirm that the least happy group is divorced people.
Married people are more satisfied than unmarried individuals. Results
about widowed people require further research for a scientific justification. Meanwhile, gender status, age and educational attainment level are
significant determinants of life satisfaction in Azerbaijan.
Citation:
Aliyev, K., Musayeva, N., & Huseynova, S. (2021). Does the marital status affect self-reported happiness? Evidence from Azerbaijan. ASERC Journal of Socio-Economic Studies, 4(2), 175-184. DOI:10.30546/2663-7251.2021.4.2.175