Intergenerational persistence of subjective well-being: Evidence from the Japanese Household Panel Survey on parents and children

Abstract

Do parents pass on their subjective well-being (SWB) to their children? This study uses long-term panel data from two generations in the Japan Household Panel Survey to examine intergenerational persistence of SWB. We find that rank–rank slopes for intergenerational persistence of happiness, self-reported general health, and mental health are 0.25, 0.22, and 0.13, respectively, which are intermediate levels when compared to other countries. SWB exhibits somewhat lower intergenerational persistence than income in Japan, suggesting that well-being is generally more mobile than economic status. These associations remain consistent across different groups, with SWB more strongly transmitted in wealthier households. A mediation analysis reveals that personality traits, especially agreeableness, play a minor role in intergenerational persistence of SWB, pointing to both genetic and environmental pathways—yet much remains unexplained. Taken together, our findings highlight the strong influence of both family and institutional contexts in shaping long-term well-being.