Green space and happiness of developed countries

Abstract

Previous research has reported a connection between urban green space and public health that ultimately contributes to happiness. Existing studies have mainly investigated green space over small areas. This paper revisits this significant correlation by examining the relationship between country-level happiness and the amount of urban green space as measured systematically from satellite images. Based on 2018 and 2013 data from 30 developed countries, we found that there is a correlation between urban green space and happiness, and this relationship becomes stronger among countries with higher GDP. We also found that the relationship between happiness and green space has grown stronger over time.