Education and Subjective Well-Being among Older Vietnamese: Exploring Gender Differences

Vietnam, like many developing countries, is facing a rapid aging population. Therefore, understanding factors that are important to well-being in old age has become a key public policy concern. Using data from 2011 Vietnam National Aging Survey, the goal of this study was to examine the association between level of education and the subjective well-being of elderly males and females in Vietnam based on two affective domains: happiness and loneliness (N=2,571). Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed level of education was associated with happiness and loneliness of the elderly but there were distinct gender differences. Higher education was positively associated with men’s happiness, but not for women. Regarding loneliness, having university education is associated with a lower level of loneliness for both sexes. The study found those with higher education tended to be happier and less lonely. However, educational level had a stronger effect on males than females. Therefore, raising education level of the next generations is important in improving their subjective well-being during their old age.