Abstract:

Traditional development policy aims to increase the income of individuals or households as a material dimension. This policy has nowadays left its place to the material possibilities as well as to the freedom, abilities and desires of individuals. The level of happiness, which is an indicator of society’s well-being, is also an important fact of development policy. Studies have been conducted on the elements that satisfy the person as it comes to happiness, and it has been shown that the perception of happiness of the person can vary according to the average income. But today, this hypothesis has lost its validity. Because the measure of happiness has the potential to have more impact on individuals with low income. This study aimed at determining the factors affecting the level of happiness by the spatial econometric approach, using the life satisfaction index for 81 years of 2015 in Turkey. In this framework, the factors that affect the level of happiness; population, housing, working life, income-service, security, education, health and social life are included in the analysis. The study first created a spatial weight matrix and then the diagnostic tests and spatial addiction tests were applied. According to the results of spatial dependency tests, it has been determined that the appropriate spatial model is the spatial error model. The results of the analysis have found that the satisfaction rates relating to income-service, social life, health and work life increased the happiness rate, the satisfaction rates relating to population, housing, safety and education reduced the happiness rate. It has been proven that the happiness rate in Turkey is affected by spatial neighbourhood.

Abstract:

Traditional development policy aims to increase the income of people or households as a material dimension. This policy has now been replaced by the freedom, abilities and desires of individuals who do not have a relationship with financial means. The level of happiness, which is a sign of prosperity of society, is also an important phenomenon of development policy. In terms of happiness, studies have been carried out on satisfying factors such as income, and it has been revealed that the perception of happiness can vary according to the average income. Nowadays, this hypothesis has lost its validity. Because the benefit of happiness is the potential to have more influence on low-income individuals. This study aimed to identify the spatial econometric approach to benefit from life satisfaction rate index for factors that affect the ratio of happiness for the 81 provinces of Turkey in 2015. In this frame, the happiness rate is affected factors such as housing, working life, income, security, education, health, and social life are included in the analysis. In the study, the spatial weight matrix was first created, then the diagnostic tests and spatial dependence tests were examined. Lastly, Spatial Error Model is included. As a result of the analyses made, the satisfaction rates of income-wealth, social life, health and working life increased the happiness rate, satisfaction rate of housing, security education and population ratio decreased the happiness ratio. In Turkey, the happiness ratio has proven to be affected by spatial neighborhood.

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