Subjective Well-being and Relationship Population: A network analysis approach

This study proposes a novel policy evaluation framework for the concept of a relationship population from the perspective of network analysis. In Japan, which is facing a rapid decline in population, the national and local governments have been implementing a set of regional revitalization policies for “creation and expansion of relationship populations” since the second phase of the "Comprehensive Strategy for the Creation of Communities, People, and Jobs " in 2019. This study shows that the relationship population can be conceptualized as a network of connections among individuals and regions. It can be structured as the number of individuals connected to a region, termed the “relationship population,” and the number of regions to which an individual is connected, referred to as the “relationship region.” This study evaluates the potential of individuals to attain a high level of subjective well-being by becoming a relationship population in multiple regions. The findings, derived from the creation and analysis of relationship region variables constructed from individuals’ residential history, indicate that residential experience in various regions is more likely to lead to relatively high levels of subjective well-being in the lives of the subjects.