An Analysis of the Subjective Well-Being in the Italian Regions Through an ANN Algorithm

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the determinants of subjective well-being in the Italian regions. To this extent, a new ISTAT-BES database has been used, with data for the Italian regions between 2004 and 2021. An artificial neural network (ANN) experiment was conducted to explore the link among these variables. Empirical findings show that subjective well-being is positively associated with education, income, and social relations. Our results align with those provided by past studies on the determinants of subjective well-being. These results imply that governments should improve subjective well-being by increasing the level of investment in education, deepening economic growth, reducing income inequality, and promoting social relations.