What makes you happy? Mapping the main factors based on the Brazilian context

Abstract

Reflecting upon happiness is as old as humanity itself. The objective of this work is to identify and systematise the studies that verify the determinants of happiness in Brazil, and also specify future research opportunities. This was achieved through a structured literature review, performed by means of searching relevant studies in databases and classifying those studies. The results identified that the factors income and social relations are crucial to the happiness of Brazilians. It was also found that overall the happiness of the Brazilian population depends on factors like income, education, and health that are equally important in other countries, such as China, USA, South Africa and several European countries. However, there are peculiar factors that result from the culture itself, such as the relevance of relationships or social conditions, and the importance given to the factor safety. Advances in the literature are still needed, and the gaps were presented throughout the results. Thus far, this is the first work that systematises the factors intervening in the happiness of the Brazilian population.