WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new international study of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries suggests that feeling left behind financially compared to others can affect almost every part of a person's life.
The study used data from the Global Flourishing Study, which surveyed participants ranged from 18-year-olds to people aged 65 and above. Researchers measured well-being in six areas - happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and values, close relationships, and financial stability. Each area was scored on a scale of 0 to 10.
Published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, the study focused on a concept called relative deprivation, which refers to how much less a person earns compared with others of a similar age and education in the same country. It measures the feeling of being financially worse off than peers.
Researchers found that people who earned less than others in their social group were more likely to report lower happiness, poorer health, less sense of purpose, and weaker social relationships. Surprisingly, these effects were seen not only when the study began but also a year later. They also noted that higher levels of relative deprivation were linked to lower scores in all six areas of well-being, even after taking actual income into account. This means that two people earning the same salary could feel very differently about their lives depending on how their income compares with that of those around them.
People who felt financially left behind also reported lower happiness, poorer mental and physical health, less purpose in life, fewer close relationships, and lower confidence in their own character and values. The researchers explained that feeling left behind may increase stress and negative emotions, making it harder for people to make thoughtful decisions, act with integrity, or focus on long-term goals.
Although the effects were seen across all age groups, they were strongest among young adults, particularly young women. Researchers said young women may face a 'double disadvantage' because financial comparisons add to other social and economic challenges they already experience. Meanwhile, older adults, especially older men, were less affected by financial comparisons. However, the study could not explain exactly why, but the pattern remained consistent across different age groups.
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