Building a FamilyOther things equal, partnered people are (in cross- section)
happier than single people by a huge 0.8 points. Widow-
hood is of course tragic, especially in your 30s and 40s, and
the tragedy becomes even more evident when we move to
the panel data analysis in the second column. By contrast the
coefficient on being partnered is reduced in panel data (so
that part of the cross- section correlation reflects inherently
happier people being more likely to be with a partner).
Table 5.1. How life- satisfaction (0– 10) is affected by family status
(British Cohort Study)Compared with single Cross- section Panel
Partnered 0.77 (.04) 0.34 (.06)
Separated −0.11 (.06) −0.16 (.10)
Widowed −0.44 (.33) −0.97 (.46)
Table 5.2. How life- satisfaction (0– 10) is affected by family status—
compared with single (household panel data)Britain Germany Australia USAPooled cross- section
Partnered 0.59 (.03) 0.29 (.03) 0.47 (.03) 0.49 (.01)
Separated −0.15 (.04) 0.03 (.03) −0.16 (.05) −0.04 (.01)
Widowed 0.11 (.08) 0.06 (.07) 0.18 (.10) 0.07 (.01)
Panel
Partnered 0.28 (.05) 0.14 (.03) 0.30 (.03)
Separated −0.12 (.07) 0.01 (.04) −0.21 (.04) NA
Widowed −0.02 (.12) −0.32 (.14) −0.15 (.13)