Living environment and life satisfaction: some insights from Italy

Abstract

With this work, we add to the debate on the significance of the living environment on individual well-being for the Italian case, till now neglected by the literature. Using data from the ISTAT Aspects of Daily Life surveys from 2013 to 2021 and considering Italians aged 20 and over, we analyse the relationship between the perceived neighbourhood environment – conceptualized through various dimensions – and individuals’ satisfaction with life, also exploring potential heterogeneity by age. Our findings confirm that living environment is an essential predictor for individual well-being, but also reveal that some aspects are important especially at old ages, particularly those about the friendliness, well-maintenance and the ease of access to services in the area.