Mind the Gap: Perceived Economic Inequality and the Well-Being Gap around the Globe

Sánchez-Rodríguez Á. Górski M.R. Joshanloo M. Krys K. Tønnessen M. Li L.M.W. Akaliyski P. Haas B.W. Hussain M.A. Guemaz F. Boussena M. Iter N. Vlasenko O. Lun V.M.-C. Vignoles V.L. Aminnuddin N.A. Işık İ. Ngom-Dieng L. Fülöp M. Igbokwe D. Adamovic M. Garðarsdóttir R.B. Soboleva N. Teyssier J. Kano Glückstad F. Park J. Zelenski J. Yeung V.W.L. Yeung J.C. Kenson Yau E. Yang J.-W. Yakhlef B. Xing C. Wasiel A. Vauclair C.-M. van Tilburg W. Turjačanin V. Trà K.T. Torres C. Sun C.-R. Sokolov B. Sobhie R. Sirlopú D. Selim H. Rocha A.M. Rizwan M. Šolcová I.P. Pavlović Z. Palikot E. Olechowski M. Okvitawanli A. Ochoa D. Nowak K. Nader M. Myślińska-Szarek K. Murdock E. Mosca O. Mosanya M. Mokadem F. Mohammed L. Malyonova A. Malyonov A. Lee H. Lauri M.A. Kronberger N. Kocimska-Bortnowska A. Kluzowicz M. Kascakova N. Imran M.A. Igou E.R. Henk K. Hasanov R. Gjoneska B. Gavreliuc A. Garvanova M. Gamsakhurdia V. Espinosa A. Domínguez Espinosa A. Deltour J. Costin V. Bolatov A. Baltin A. Bakyono-Nabaloum R. Asif R. Appoh L. Anić P. Andrade L. Almakaeva A. Al-Zoubi M. Akello G. Bond M.H.
April 2026 SAGE Publications Inc.

Social Psychological and Personality Science
2026 #17 Issue 3 383 - 399 pp.

The link between economic inequality and individual well-being has been gaining increasing research attention. This study examines this relationship using data from 71 countries with diverse national incomes, addressing three key research gaps: (1) incorporating measures of both perceived and objective economic inequality, (2) extending analysis to multiple components of well-being beyond happiness, including meaning in life, harmony, and spirituality, and (3) assessing levels of both current and ideal well-being. Findings reveal that perceived economic inequality predicts personal well-being more strongly than objective inequality. In addition, perceived inequality is associated with a wider gap between current and ideal levels of happiness, meaning, harmony, and spirituality, although national income moderates the effects of meaning, harmony, and spirituality. We discuss the implications of these results, highlighting the need for more culturally sensitive studies on perceived economic inequality and well-being.

components of well-being , happiness , harmony , meaning , national income , perceived economic inequality , spirituality

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University of Salamanca, Spain
Roskilde University, Denmark
University of Mohamed Lamine Debaghine–Setif 2, Algeria
Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie, Tulkarm, Palestine
Osnabrück University, Germany
University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey
Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria
King’s College London, United Kingdom
University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation
Université Toulouse II, France
Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark
Kyoto University, Japan
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
The Catholic University of Korea, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
École Normale Supérieure of Constantine, Algeria
University of Warsaw, Poland
Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Iscte-IUL Instituto Universitário de Lisboa), Cis_Iscte (Centre for Social research and Intervention), Lisbon, Portugal
University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
HCMC University of Education, Viet Nam
University of Brasilia, Brazil
National Chengchi University, Taipei, Suriname
Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Paramaribo, Suriname
Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea
Catholic University of Angola, Luanda, Angola
National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
University of Belgrade, Serbia
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Universidad ICESI, Cali, Colombia
SWPS University, Sopot, Poland
University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
University of Cagliari, Italy
University of Stavanger, Norway
The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
Dostoevsky Omsk State University, Russian Federation
Indiana University Northwest, Gary, United States
University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
SWPS University, Wrocław, Poland
Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
Psychiatric Clinic Pro Mente Sana, Bratislava, Slovakia
BRAC University, Bangladesh
University of Limerick, Ireland
The Education University of Hong Kong, China
University of Koblenz, Germany
Baku State University, Azerbaijan
Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, North Macedonia
West University of Timişoara, Romania
University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia, Bulgaria
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
Iberoamerican University, Mexico City, Mexico
Astana Medical University, Kazakhstan
Tallinn University, Estonia
Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Nord University, Bodø, Norway
University of Rijeka, Croatia
University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Gulu University, Uganda
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
University of Georgia, Athens, United States
University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

University of Salamanca
Roskilde University
University of Mohamed Lamine Debaghine–Setif 2
Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie
Osnabrück University
University of Sussex
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Bahçeşehir University
Cheikh Anta Diop University
Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology
Institute of Psychology
Baze University
King’s College London
University of Iceland
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Université Toulouse II
Copenhagen Business School
Kyoto University
Carleton University
The Catholic University of Korea
École Normale Supérieure of Constantine
University of Warsaw
Renmin University of China
Iscte-IUL Instituto Universitário de Lisboa)
University of Essex
University of Banja Luka
HCMC University of Education
University of Brasilia
National Chengchi University
Anton de Kom University of Suriname
Universidad San Sebastián
King Saud University
Keimyung University
Catholic University of Angola
National University of Medical Sciences
Institute of Psychology
University of Belgrade
Universitas Sebelas Maret
University of the Philippines Diliman
Universidad ICESI
SWPS University
University of Luxembourg
University of Cagliari
University of Stavanger
The University of Trinidad and Tobago
Dostoevsky Omsk State University
Indiana University Northwest
University of Malta
Johannes Kepler University
SWPS University
Palacky University Olomouc
Psychiatric Clinic Pro Mente Sana
BRAC University
University of Limerick
The Education University of Hong Kong
University of Koblenz
Baku State University
Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
West University of Timişoara
University of Library Studies and Information Technologies
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Iberoamerican University
Astana Medical University
Tallinn University
Lingnan University
Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo
Jamia Millia Islamia
Nord University
University of Rijeka
University of Jordan
Gulu University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
University of Georgia
University of Sharjah

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