Women are Happier than Men

A number of chief editors of the mass media and BPS top management held the second discussion on 16 April 2014 atThe Sultan Hotel and Residences, Jakarta. This forumwas the continuation of the previous meeting at Hotel Borobudur, on 7 November 2013, aimed to createmutual understanding between the BPS and the chief editors. The topic discussed in this second forum was ‘Happiness and Inequality’.

A famous news anchor and presenter Prita Laura took part in this event as moderator. The speakers were the Chief Statistician Suryamin and the Deputy Chief Statistician for National Accounts and Statistical Analysis Kecuk Suhariyanto. Comedy performance from comedian Temon was success to create happy and warm atmosphere prior to the discussion.

BPSpilot survey on happiness revealed that the national happiness index was 65.11 on a scale of 0 to 100. The index can indicate four conditions of happiness. It indicates ‘very unhappy’ for 0 - 25, ‘unhappy’ for 25 - 50, ‘happy’ for 50 - 75, and ‘very happy’ for 75 - 100. “By having 65.11, it can be concluded that we are categorized as happy,” the Chief Statistician stated.

In next session, Kecuk Suhariyanto said, "The main issue that makes our happiness level at 65.11 is unsatisfactory feeling in level of education and income. On the other hand, the family harmony component contributes the most satisfaction in the index. So, Indonesian family is happy! "

In terms of marriage status, the married persons are happier than those unmarried. A divorced person is not happier than a widowed person. “In terms of gender, the survey disclosed that women are happier than men in this country,” added Kecuk.