--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/does-money-matter-determining-the-happiness-of-canadians/" title: "Does Money Matter? Determining the Happiness of Canadians" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:29:38+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T13:29:38+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Canada" - "Canadian Community Health Survey" - "geographical variation" - "happiness" - "health" - "income" - "life satisfaction" - "sense of belonging" - "well-being" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Economic Well-Being" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # Does Money Matter? Determining the Happiness of Canadians Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/does-money-matter-determining-the-happiness-of-canadians/ # Does Money Matter? Determining the Happiness of Canadians [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2010-09-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Sharpe, Andrew, Ali Ghanghro, Erik Johnson, and Anam Kidwai. 2010. “Does Money Matter? Determining the Happiness of Canadians.” CSLS Research Report 2010-09. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/does-money-matter-determining-the-happiness-of-canadians/ ## Authors: - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Ali Ghanghro Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity - Erik Johnson Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity - Anam Kidwai Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity ## Report 2010-09 November 2010 134 pages ## Related research [Measuring the Appropriate Outcomes for Better Decision-Making: A Framework to Guide the Analysis of Health Policy Matthew Calver March 2016 | Report 2016-03 | 132 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-appropriate-outcomes-for-better-decision-making-a-framework-to-guide-the-analysis-of-health-policy-2016-03/) [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Closing the First Nations Education Gap in Canada: Assessing Progress and Estimating the Economic Benefits — An Update Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2023 | Report 2023-01 | 101 pages](https://csls.ca/research/closing-the-first-nations-education-gap-in-canada-assessing-progress-and-estimating-the-economic-benefits-an-update-2023-01/) [Productivity: Key to Economic Success Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) March 1998 | Report 1998-01 | 99 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-key-to-economic-success/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? Andrew Sharpe December 1999 | Report 1999-03 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/apprenticeship-in-canadaa-training-system-under-siege/) [A Survey of Indicators of Economic and Social Well-being Andrew Sharpe July 1999 | Report 1999-cprn | 72 pages](https://csls.ca/research/a-survey-of-indicators-of-economic-and-social-well-being/) [Creating a More Efficient Labour Market Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2001 | Report 2001-02 | 147 pages](https://csls.ca/research/creating-a-more-efficient-labour-market/) [The Impact of the National Child Benefit Supplement on the Low Income Status of Canadian Families with Children: The SPSD/M Results Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2002 | Report 2002-01 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-impact-of-the-national-child-benefit-supplement-on-the-low-income-status-of-canadian-families-with-children-the-spsd-m-results/) [Productivity Trends in Natural Resources Industries in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01a | 69 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-natural-resources-industries-in-canada/) [Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-02 | 28 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-in-the-forest-products-sector-a-review-of-the-literature/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This report explains why people living in certain regions or cities in Canada experience higher levels of life satisfaction or happiness. We make use of micro-level data from the Canadian Community Health Survey for 2007 and 2008. After a descriptive analysis of the data on happiness in Canada, the report identifies, through an econometric analysis of both individual and certain variables in a societal context, the factors that are the most statistically and economically significant determinants of individual happiness. We find that household income is a relatively weak determinant of individual happiness. Perceived mental and physical health status as well as stress levels and sense of belonging are better predictors of happiness. We then use these estimates to account for variation in happiness at the provincial, CMA (Census Metropolitan Area), and health region level, given the characteristics of the population in these geographical units. We find that the most important reason for geographical variations in happiness in Canada is differences in the sense of belonging to local communities, which is generally higher in small CMAs, rural areas, and Atlantic Canada. Ce rapport explique pourquoi les personnes vivant dans certaines régions ou villes du Canada affichent des niveaux de satisfaction à l’égard de la vie ou de bonheur plus élevés. Nous utilisons des microdonnées tirées de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 2007 et de 2008. Après une analyse descriptive des données sur le bonheur au Canada, le rapport cerne, au moyen d’une analyse économétrique de variables individuelles et de variables de contexte sociétal, les facteurs qui sont les déterminants les plus significatifs, sur les plans statistique et économique, du bonheur individuel. Nous constatons que le revenu du ménage est un déterminant relativement faible du bonheur individuel. L’état de santé mentale et physique perçu, ainsi que le niveau de stress et le sentiment d’appartenance, sont de meilleurs prédicteurs du bonheur. Nous utilisons ensuite ces estimations pour expliquer les variations du bonheur à l’échelle des provinces, des régions métropolitaines de recensement (RMR) et des régions sociosanitaires, compte tenu des caractéristiques de la population de ces unités géographiques. Nous constatons que la principale raison des variations géographiques du bonheur au Canada réside dans les différences du sentiment d’appartenance aux communautés locales, généralement plus élevé dans les petites RMR, les régions rurales et le Canada atlantique. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2010-09-1.pdf)