Determinants of Happiness Among Arab Youth: Evidence From a Youth Survey

The paper aims to study the happiness among youth by elaborating on the determinants of happiness among the youth in the Arab region. The paper relies on a probit model using novel and unique data at a micro-level extracted from the SAHWA Youth Survey (2016). The dependent variable in all of the models was derived from a question on self-satisfaction from the survey. We examined six models containing a diverse set of variables. The survey covers five main nations which are Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The paper studies the effect of the socio-economic, household, labor market, and value-based characteristics on happiness. The main findings show that being male and the age factor are associated negatively with the happiness of youth in the Arab region. In addition, education, income, democracy, and gender equality are factors associated positively with the happiness of youth in the Arab region. Furthermore, the results show that the Arab identity is associated negatively with happiness of youth in the Arab region. The paper suggests some policy implications to support policymakers in fostering policies that can promote happiness among the youth in the Arab region. Determinants of happiness among Arab youthThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants that can impact the happiness among young people in the Arab region. The study uses data from the SAHWA Youth Survey (2016) and examines variables like age, education, income, and gender equality to study their impact on happiness. The survey covered five countries: Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The study found that being male and being old are factors associated negatively with happiness among young people in the Arab region. However, education, income, democracy, and gender equality are associated positively with happiness. The study also found that being identified as an Arab is associated negatively with happiness. The paper suggests recommendations for policymakers to support the well-being among young people in the Arab region. However, there exists some limitations in the study, the survey did not include the cultural differences among Arab youth across the region.