Table 4. Change in the proportion of students reporting low life satisfaction between 2015 and 2018, by SES.
| 2015 | 2018 | Absolute change | Relative change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Mid | High | Low | Mid | High | Low | Mid | High | Low | Mid | High | ||||
| B | S.E. | B | S.E. | B | S.E. | ||||||||||
| Scotland | 25.93% | 22.22% | 16.74% | 39.12% | 32.51% | 28.31% | 13.18%*** | 0.02 | 10.29%*** | 0.02 | 11.57%*** | 0.02 | 50.83% | 46.33% | 69.10% |
| United Arab Emirates | 29.75% | 24.69% | 17.51% | 29.37% | 28.38% | 28.72% | −0.38% | 0.01 | 3.69%*** | 0.01 | 11.21%*** | 0.02 | −1.28% | 14.94% | 63.98% |
| Qatar | 26.57% | 22.52% | 16.50% | 29.23% | 28.07% | 25.67% | 2.66%* | 0.01 | 5.55%*** | 0.01 | 9.17%*** | 0.01 | 10.01% | 24.66% | 55.57% |
| United Kingdom | 30.03% | 23.52% | 18.25% | 40.69% | 35.86% | 28.50% | 10.66%*** | 0.02 | 12.34%*** | 0.01 | 10.26%*** | 0.01 | 35.52% | 52.48% | 56.20% |
| England | 30.68% | 23.37% | 18.50% | 41.40% | 36.50% | 28.16% | 10.72%*** | 0.02 | 13.13%*** | 0.01 | 9.66%*** | 0.02 | 34.93% | 56.16% | 52.22% |
| Japan | 31.87% | 25.58% | 24.51% | 39.73% | 37.12% | 35.50% | 7.86%*** | 0.02 | 11.54%*** | 0.01 | 10.99%*** | 0.02 | 24.67% | 45.10% | 44.85% |
| Ireland | 21.08% | 19.33% | 15.61% | 31.00% | 26.53% | 25.48% | 9.92%*** | 0.02 | 7.20%*** | 0.01 | 9.87%*** | 0.02 | 47.07% | 37.27% | 63.23% |
| Iceland | 19.06% | 15.30% | 10.46% | 21.66% | 17.24% | 15.20% | 2.60% | 0.02 | 1.94% | 0.01 | 4.74%** | 0.02 | 13.67% | 12.68% | 45.35% |
| Northern Ireland | 26.10% | 20.60% | 16.09% | 31.00% | 30.71% | 24.90% | 4.90% | 0.02 | 10.11%*** | 0.02 | 8.81%*** | 0.02 | 18.75% | 49.10% | 54.77% |
| Wales | 27.29% | 22.35% | 18.33% | 39.57% | 31.40% | 27.25% | 12.28%*** | 0.03 | 9.05%*** | 0.01 | 8.92%*** | 0.02 | 45.00% | 40.49% | 48.64% |
| United States | 27.76% | 19.58% | 14.39% | 34.95% | 28.48% | 22.38% | 7.18%*** | 0.02 | 8.89%*** | 0.01 | 7.99%*** | 0.02 | 25.87% | 45.40% | 55.52% |
| Lithuania | 19.36% | 14.71% | 9.96% | 19.69% | 17.54% | 16.55% | 0.34% | 0.01 | 2.83%** | 0.01 | 6.59%*** | 0.01 | 1.74% | 19.27% | 66.22% |
| Macao | 33.19% | 29.36% | 24.98% | 41.56% | 35.59% | 32.81% | 8.37%*** | 0.02 | 6.23%*** | 0.01 | 7.83%*** | 0.02 | 25.22% | 21.23% | 31.35% |
| Brazil | 17.87% | 19.17% | 17.98% | 21.85% | 24.67% | 24.52% | 3.98%*** | 0.01 | 5.50%*** | 0.01 | 6.53%*** | 0.01 | 22.25% | 28.70% | 36.33% |
| Russia | 18.82% | 18.04% | 14.78% | 23.05% | 23.86% | 21.37% | 4.24%* | 0.02 | 5.82%*** | 0.01 | 6.59%*** | 0.01 | 22.50% | 32.27% | 44.57% |
| Poland | 26.82% | 20.87% | 18.83% | 30.69% | 26.95% | 25.34% | 3.87%* | 0.02 | 6.07%*** | 0.01 | 6.51%*** | 0.02 | 14.43% | 29.09% | 34.59% |
| France | 18.58% | 14.11% | 8.90% | 25.33% | 19.54% | 14.94% | 6.75%*** | 0.02 | 5.43%*** | 0.01 | 6.04%*** | 0.01 | 36.30% | 38.49% | 67.91% |
| Chile | 27.26% | 20.41% | 13.33% | 30.78% | 24.52% | 19.98% | 3.52%* | 0.02 | 4.12%*** | 0.01 | 6.65%*** | 0.01 | 12.91% | 20.17% | 49.93% |
| Austria | 22.65% | 15.71% | 13.95% | 24.13% | 22.64% | 19.62% | 1.48% | 0.02 | 6.93%*** | 0.01 | 5.67%*** | 0.01 | 6.52% | 44.14% | 40.60% |
| Turkey | 44.44% | 41.86% | 36.60% | 51.12% | 45.43% | 41.04% | 6.68%** | 0.02 | 3.58%* | 0.02 | 4.43% | 0.02 | 15.02% | 8.54% | 12.11% |
| Germany | 23.48% | 18.34% | 13.71% | 25.65% | 23.53% | 20.58% | 2.17% | 0.02 | 5.18%*** | 0.01 | 6.87%*** | 0.02 | 9.26% | 28.26% | 50.14% |
| Switzerland | 15.16% | 12.61% | 10.47% | 18.87% | 17.98% | 13.83% | 3.71%* | 0.02 | 5.37%*** | 0.01 | 3.36%* | 0.02 | 24.51% | 42.56% | 32.05% |
| Costa Rica | 13.08% | 11.09% | 10.07% | 14.08% | 14.76% | 14.08% | 1.01% | 0.01 | 3.67%*** | 0.01 | 4.01%*** | 0.01 | 7.69% | 33.08% | 39.86% |
| Hong Kong | 34.41% | 29.06% | 21.97% | 37.72% | 30.82% | 27.42% | 3.32% | 0.02 | 1.76% | 0.01 | 5.45%* | 0.02 | 9.64% | 6.05% | 24.80% |
| Estonia | 23.70% | 16.95% | 12.58% | 24.99% | 22.07% | 15.37% | 1.28% | 0.02 | 5.12%*** | 0.01 | 2.79% | 0.02 | 5.41% | 30.20% | 22.16% |
| Slovenia | 22.91% | 22.38% | 20.34% | 26.29% | 27.78% | 24.88% | 3.38% | 0.02 | 5.40%*** | 0.01 | 4.54%* | 0.02 | 14.76% | 24.14% | 22.33% |
| Slovakia | 24.27% | 18.63% | 16.71% | 24.62% | 22.13% | 18.76% | 0.35% | 0.02 | 3.50%** | 0.01 | 2.05% | 0.01 | 1.45% | 18.78% | 12.29% |
| Bulgaria | 27.24% | 20.95% | 17.30% | 27.20% | 23.40% | 20.42% | −0.04% | 0.02 | 2.44%* | 0.01 | 3.13%* | 0.01 | −0.15% | 11.67% | 18.09% |
| Colombia | 16.60% | 16.87% | 16.88% | 17.84% | 20.10% | 20.21% | 1.25% | 0.01 | 3.23%** | 0.01 | 3.33%* | 0.02 | 7.53% | 19.16% | 19.73% |
| Croatia | 14.50% | 13.14% | 11.53% | 18.60% | 16.79% | 16.22% | 4.10%** | 0.02 | 3.65%*** | 0.01 | 4.69%*** | 0.01 | 28.26% | 27.76% | 40.70% |
| Hungary | 27.84% | 22.02% | 14.88% | 26.50% | 22.47% | 19.51% | −1.34% | 0.02 | 0.45% | 0.01 | 4.63%** | 0.02 | −4.80% | 2.03% | 31.11% |
| Netherlands | 7.82% | 6.74% | 5.70% | 9.01% | 9.08% | 7.30% | 1.18% | 0.01 | 2.34%** | 0.01 | 1.61% | 0.01 | 15.14% | 34.69% | 28.20% |
| Peru | 22.60% | 21.13% | 19.22% | 16.72% | 20.58% | 21.85% | −5.88%*** | 0.01 | −0.55% | 0.01 | 2.63% | 0.01 | −26.03% | −2.61% | 13.70% |
| Finland | 14.91% | 11.37% | 7.71% | 20.02% | 14.83% | 11.52% | 5.11%*** | 0.01 | 3.45%*** | 0.01 | 3.81%*** | 0.01 | 34.28% | 30.38% | 49.39% |
| Luxembourg | 23.43% | 19.44% | 13.38% | 29.02% | 24.24% | 16.43% | 5.59%** | 0.02 | 4.80%*** | 0.01 | 3.05%* | 0.01 | 23.88% | 24.71% | 22.77% |
| Latvia | 21.08% | 17.67% | 12.08% | 28.56% | 20.83% | 15.90% | 7.48%*** | 0.02 | 3.16%** | 0.01 | 3.82%** | 0.01 | 35.48% | 17.90% | 31.60% |
| Taiwan | 38.44% | 30.49% | 26.65% | 37.44% | 31.99% | 28.20% | −1.00% | 0.02 | 1.50% | 0.01 | 1.55% | 0.02 | −2.59% | 4.91% | 5.83% |
| Czech Republic | 30.90% | 23.52% | 17.97% | 29.17% | 25.31% | 19.96% | −1.72% | 0.02 | 1.79% | 0.01 | 1.99% | 0.01 | −5.58% | 7.62% | 11.09% |
| Spain | 18.94% | 17.34% | 10.14% | 21.03% | 17.38% | 13.15% | 2.10% | 0.01 | 0.04% | 0.01 | 3.00%** | 0.01 | 11.06% | 0.21% | 29.63% |
| Mexico | 14.73% | 11.30% | 9.25% | 13.10% | 12.63% | 11.31% | −1.62% | 0.02 | 1.34% | 0.01 | 2.07% | 0.01 | −11.03% | 11.82% | 22.33% |
| South Korea | 39.06% | 34.66% | 29.02% | 34.54% | 31.97% | 32.10% | −4.52%** | 0.02 | −2.69% | 0.01 | 3.07% | 0.02 | −11.58% | −7.76% | 10.59% |
| Greece | 29.42% | 23.58% | 19.66% | 24.95% | 22.63% | 22.54% | −4.48%* | 0.02 | −0.95% | 0.01 | 2.88% | 0.02 | −15.22% | −4.03% | 14.66% |
| Portugal | 23.04% | 17.33% | 14.81% | 25.30% | 21.68% | 16.01% | 2.26% | 0.02 | 4.35%*** | 0.01 | 1.20% | 0.01 | 9.83% | 25.10% | 8.12% |
| Uruguay | 21.19% | 17.34% | 12.01% | 22.54% | 17.99% | 13.00% | 1.35% | 0.02 | 0.65% | 0.01 | 0.99% | 0.02 | 6.39% | 3.72% | 8.28% |
| Thailand | 18.79% | 18.31% | 15.89% | 22.00% | 19.91% | 16.73% | 3.22%* | 0.02 | 1.60% | 0.01 | 0.84% | 0.02 | 17.13% | 8.76% | 5.30% |
| Montenegro | 20.65% | 17.72% | 17.82% | 22.47% | 19.26% | 18.50% | 1.82% | 0.02 | 1.55% | 0.01 | 0.68% | 0.02 | 8.82% | 8.75% | 3.81% |
| Italy | 29.09% | 23.98% | 20.90% | 25.33% | 23.59% | 18.57% | −3.76%* | 0.02 | −0.39% | 0.01 | −2.33% | 0.01 | −12.92% | −1.62% | −11.15% |
Notes: countries are ordered from greater to smaller change in life satisfaction among students of high SES in the period 2015–2018. Students of high SES are those in the top 25% of the SES scale (PISA’s ESCS variable) in their country, students of low SES are those in the bottom 25% and the rest are considered students of mid SES
Low life satisfaction is defined as rating your life satisfaction with 5 or less in the 0 to 10 life satisfaction scale.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, and *** p < .001