Are the Effects of Height on Well-Being a Tall Tale?

Abstract

Numerous papers have documented a positive association between height and good physical health and also with good economic outcomes such as earnings. A smaller number have argued for an association with well-being. In this paper, cross-country data from Europe is used to analyse whether individuals' height is associated with higher or lower levels of life-satisfaction. In simple models there is a positive but concave relationship between height and life satisfaction. However it is shown that the results are quite sensitive to the inclusion of controls reflecting demographics, human capital and health status. Where effects do exist, it is predominantly at low to medium levels of height.There is also evidence of heterogeneity across countries.

Height and life satisfaction: Evidence from 27 nations

“…Recent work has emphasized the role of height in explaining life satisfaction (Deaton and Arora, 2009; Denny, ; Habibov, Auchynnikava, Luo, & Fan, ; Montgomery, Netuveli, Hildon, & Blane, ; Rees, Sabia, & Argys, ; Rietveld, Hessels, & van der Zwan, ; Osika & Montgomery, ). Research on height and life satisfaction is inherently complex and interdisciplinary inasmuch as both height and life satisfaction is partly predetermined by genetics and partly by actual life conditions.…”

“…A third channel is attractiveness. Height, as an aspect of physical appearance, is distinct from body function and health, and is a significant independent precursor of life satisfaction (Denny, ; Diener, Wolsic, & Fujita, ). Taller people are considered more attractive, which is in turn associated with higher levels of self‐esteem, positive mood, and positive social interactions (Carrieri & De Paola, ; Judge & Cable, ).…”

“…On the other hand, the predictors of life satisfaction in post‐communist countries may be substantially different than those in more developed countries (Gruen & Klasen, ; Habibov et al, ; Selezneva, ). Finally, the literature highlights the need to study whether the height to life satisfaction association has remained in place after the 2008 Great Recession, which is known to have considerably reduced life satisfaction (Denny, ).…”