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Individual Welfare in the Soviet Union

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Abstract

World Values Survey data, collectedJune-October 1990, are used to exploredeterminants of individual welfare in variousregions of the Soviet Union. Emphasis isplaced on the role of household income andperceived health status in determining thehappiness of an individual. Comparisons aremade across five Soviet regions and between theSoviet Union, the U.S., and West Germany. Thedata indicate similar patterns existedregarding welfare determinants though Sovietcitizens were relatively unhappy. There arealso differences between the two marketeconomies and the Soviet Union regarding theextent to which income influenced health andhappiness.

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  1. Economics Department, Millersville University, P.O. Box 1002, Millersville, PA, 17551, USA

    Kenneth Smith

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  1. Kenneth Smith
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Smith, K. Individual Welfare in the Soviet Union. Social Indicators Research 64, 75–105 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024728111718

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