Les déterminants du bien-être subjectif : une approche comparative entre Madagascar et le Pérou

The multidimensionality of poverty is now widely acknowledged. Some recent studies in developed countries show that there is a weak correlation between the monetary poverty approach and the household's subjective perception of their well-being, suggesting that the subjective perception of welfare is based not only on monetary income or consumption. The contribution examines the factors that determine the subjective evaluation of welfare in developing countries, through a comparative analysis of Peruvian and Madagascan urban households. Our analysis is based upon a particularly rich first hand database concerning objective variables related to individual and household economic and socio-demographic characteristics, trajectory (social origins), local variables (district level inequality), as well as subjective questions, identical for both countries. How much income levels influence households' welfare perceptions? Having or not a job and job quality do have any impact beyond that linked to the income it brings? What is the impact of individual social trajectories and local environment on welfare perceptions? Is subjective welfare perception dependant of absolute or rather relative variables, grounded on reference comparison group? Finally, how much weights do have new poverty dimensions such as vulnerability and social or political exclusion on household's subjective welfare appraisals?