Happiness beyond material needsthe case of the Mayan people

Resumen

This research analyses happiness and several domains of life of Mayan people in the poor rural areas of Yucatan, Mexico. Using a sample of 373 households, we obtain high results for happiness and the domains. We find that Mayans that experience hunger are unhappier than the rest and report lower satisfaction in the material domains, but their happiness and satisfaction on the domains is still quite high. Income influences the happiness of this group of people more than the other, but the influence is reduced. Relative income does not affect happiness of those who do not satisfy this need, in line with existing literature. However, contrary to the literature, there is no income comparison influencing the happiness of those that satisfy this basic need, although there is a weak comparison effect in the health and water domain. Other domains related to feelings or public goods do not experience variation between groups and are not influenced by income. Although happiness is high for Mayans, they nevertheless require political attention.