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text-decoration: none; } .toc-sidebar a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } /* Style for the toggle button */ .toc-toggle { position: fixed; top: 880px; left: 100px; z-index: 1001; /* Nằm trên sidebar */ font-size: 16px; color: #2c3e50; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9); padding: 5px 10px; border: 1px solid #2c3e50; border-radius: 5px; } .toc-toggle:hover { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); } /* Hide the default xaringan TOC slide */ .remark-slide-content.toc { display: none !important; }K </style> <div class="container-center title-slide"> <div class="center title-content"> <h2 style="font-size: 48px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Can Money Buy Happiness? <br> Re-evaluate the answer through the Republic of Congo's paradox </h2> <p style="font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; color: #2c3e50; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 1.4;"> According to <b>Our World in Data</b>, globally, there is a strong correlation between <b>GDP and life satisfaction (0.81)</b>—yet the Republic of Congo challenges this pattern, highlighting a unique paradox. Can financial wealth alone ensure happiness or is there any flaws from the statistics provied by Our World in Data's research? (Our World in Data, n.d.) </p> <p style="font-size: 14px; color: #2c3e50;"> <b>Presented by</b>: Luong Chi Bach - s4029308<br/> <b>Course</b>: Data Visualisation with R | MATH2459 <br> <b>Course Coordinator</b>: Mr. Arthur Tang <br> <b>Lecturer</b>: Dr. Kapil Dev, Tutor (Hanoi) </p> </div> </div> --- ## Global Correlation: GDP and Life Satisfaction <div class="container"> <div class="plot-column">
</div> <div class="text-column"> <p><strong>Wealth and happiness?</strong> This chart explores the link between <strong>GDP per capita</strong> and <strong>life satisfaction</strong> across countries in 2023. Each dot is a country, colored by region. Note: The x-axis uses a logarithmic scale to better visualize the wide range of GDP values.</p> <p><strong>Key Insight:</strong> A correlation of <strong>0.81</strong> shows a strong link—higher GDP often means higher satisfaction. Yet, outliers like the Republic of Congo suggest <strong>community</strong>, <strong>health</strong>, and <strong>social support</strong> also matter, setting the stage for a unique paradox (Our World in Data, n.d.).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> GDP predicts satisfaction (Our World in Data, n.d.).</p> <p><strong>Reproduce from Our World in Data (n.d.)</strong></p> <p><strong>NOTE:</strong> <strong>By selecting the symbol in the legend under the chart, you can choose to turn on/off.</strong></p> </div> </div> --- ## Republic of Congo’s Paradox: GDP Falls, Happiness Rises <div class="container-center"> <div class="plot-column center">
</div> </div> --- ## Why GDP Declined? (Part 1: The downfall because of Oil) <div class="container"> <div class="plot-column">
</div> <div class="text-column"> <p><strong>Oil dependency?</strong> Congo heavily relies on <strong>oil exports</strong> (World Bank, 2017). The <strong>2014 oil price crash</strong> slashed budget revenues, triggering a prolonged recession.</p> <p><strong>Key Insight:</strong> With <strong>average oil rents</strong> consistently above 20%, Congo’s economy is vulnerable to <strong>oil price volatility</strong> (Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, 2022), leading to severe <strong>fiscal imbalances</strong> (International Monetary Fund, 2023).</p> </div> </div> --- ## Why GDP Declined? (Part 2: The stall in growth of other sectors) <div class="container"> <div class="plot-column">
</div> <div class="text-column"> <p><strong>Lack of diversification?</strong> Despite <strong>NDP</strong> efforts to diversify, Congo’s economy stalled. <strong>Non-oil GDP growth</strong> slowed since 2013, with agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing underperforming (International Monetary Fund, 2023).</p> <p><strong>Key Insight:</strong> Economic recession and <strong>COVID-19</strong> further hindered diversification, stunting non-oil sector growth and deepening GDP decline.</p> </div> </div> --- ## Why Life Satisfaction Increased? Foreign Aid and Living Conditions <b>(Key Point)</b> <div class="container"> <div class="plot-column">
</div> <div class="text-column" style="border-left: 4px solid #1b9e77;"> <p><strong>Foreign Aid’s Impact on Living Conditions:</strong> From 2014 to 2020, Congo received <strong>substantial financial aid</strong> totaling $927.83 million. This aid significantly improved living conditions, as seen in the trends for electricity access, sanitation, and stunting rates.</p> <p><strong>Key Insight:</strong> The chart shows how foreign aid correlates with improvements in living conditions, with notable progress between 2014 and 2020, contributing to increased life satisfaction.</p> <p><strong>Reference:</strong> (World Bank, n.d.-a)</p> <p style="color: red; background-color: #ffe6e6;"><strong>Note:</strong> Use the dropdown menu above the chart to switch between different metrics (electricity access, sanitation access, stunting rate).</p> </div> </div> --- ## Why Life Satisfaction Increased? Another Factor: Reduced Conflict Deaths <div class="container"> <div class="plot-column">
</div> <div class="text-column"> <p><strong>Post-Crisis Stability:</strong> After the humanitarian crisis and civil war around 1997–1999, the people of the Republic of Congo experienced more peaceful years, contributing to increased life satisfaction.</p> </div> </div> --- ## Conclusion: Money Can Buy Happiness – A Roadmap for Congo <div class="container-center-center"> <div class="plot-column center"> <div style="border-left: 4px solid #1b9e77; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; text-align: justify; width: 80%;"> <p><strong>Can Money Buy Happiness? Yes, It Can.</strong> Globally, a strong correlation (<strong>0.81</strong>) suggests that higher income often leads to higher life satisfaction (Our World in Data, n.d.-e). Congo’s story powerfully affirms this, showing how financial resources, when used wisely, can indeed <strong>buy happiness</strong>.</p> <p><strong>Congo: An Outlier in Global Trends:</strong> According to Our World in Data, Congo stands out as an outlier (Our World in Data, n.d.-e). While global trends link higher GDP per capita to increased life satisfaction, Congo’s GDP fell from 2011 to 2023, yet life satisfaction rose, showing a <strong>negative correlation</strong>. This anomaly arises because much of Congo’s income comes from <strong>foreign aid</strong>—totaling <strong>$927.83 million</strong> from 2014–2020—which isn’t fully reflected in GDP per capita. This highlights that GDP per capita doesn’t always capture a country’s true income, especially when foreign aid plays a significant role.</p> <p><strong>Foreign Aid Driving Happiness:</strong> In Congo, foreign aid has been transformative, funding <strong>infrastructure projects</strong> that improved <strong>living conditions</strong>, such as electricity, sanitation, and health (UNDP, 2019; World Bank, 2018). Investments in rural electrification, clean water supply, schools, and health centers significantly enhanced living standards, particularly during <strong>2014–2020</strong> (UNDP, 2019; World Bank, 2018). Reduced conflict after 1999 also brought stability, further supporting happiness.</p> <p><strong>The Answer:</strong> Congo demonstrates that money can buy happiness when directed toward <strong>basic needs and stability</strong>. Foreign aid, rather than GDP growth, has been the <strong>key driver</strong> of improved quality of life, underscoring the importance of how financial resources are utilized.</p> <p><strong>Roadmap for Congo:</strong> To sustain this progress, Congo should continue leveraging foreign aid to <strong>diversify into sustainable sectors</strong> and breaking free from <strong>oil dependency</strong> while prioritizing <strong>peace and living condition gains</strong> (World Bank, 2023).</p> </div> </div> </div> --- ## References <div class="references-container"> <div class="references-text-column"> <div style="border-left: 4px solid #1b9e77; padding: 10px; border-radius: 8px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left;"> <p>FRED. (n.d.). <i>Non-oil GDP growth, PPP terms (Republic of Congo)</i>. Federal Reserve Economic Data. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/COGNGDPXORPCPPPT</p> <p>International Monetary Fund. (n.d.). <i>Gross debt as a percentage of GDP (Republic of Congo)</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GGXWDG_NGDP@WEO/COG?zoom=COG&highlight=COG</p> <p>International Monetary Fund. (2023). <i>Republic of Congo: 2023 Article IV consultation</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2023/090/article-A001-en.xml</p> <p>Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. (2022). <i>Diversification strategy under deep uncertainty for MENA oil-exporting countries</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/diversification-strategy-under-deep-uncertainty-for-mena-oil-exporting-countries/</p> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-a). <i>Number of people with and without electricity access</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/people-without-electricity-country</p> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-b). <i>Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-the-population-using-improved-sanitation-facilities</p> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-c). <i>Share of children younger than 5 who suffer from stunting</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-children-younger-than-5-who-suffer-from-stunting</p> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-d). <i>Death rate in armed conflicts</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/death-rate-in-armed-conflicts</p> </div> </div> <div class="references-text-column"> <div style="border-left: 4px solid #1b9e77; padding: 10px; border-radius: 8px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left;"> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-e). <i>GDP per capita vs. life satisfaction</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gdp-vs-happiness</p> <p>Our World in Data. (n.d.-f). <i>Happiness and life satisfaction</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction</p> <p>Statista. (n.d.). <i>Brent crude oil price changes since 1976</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/262860/uk-brent-crude-oil-price-changes-since-1976/</p> <p>UNDP. (2019). <i>Foreign aid and development in the Republic of Congo: Building infrastructure for a better future</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.undp.org/congo/news/foreign-aid-and-development-republic-congo</p> <p>World Bank. (n.d.-a). <i>Net official development assistance and official aid received (Republic of Congo)</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/DT.ODA.ALLD.CD?locations=CG</p> <p>World Bank. (n.d.-b). <i>Oil rents (% of GDP) - Republic of Congo</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PETR.RT.ZS?locations=CG</p> <p>World Bank. (2017). <i>Why Republic of Congo’s oil-driven growth model must change</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/africacan/why-republic-congos-oil-driven-growth-model-must-change</p> <p>World Bank. (2018). <i>Republic of Congo - Poverty assessment report: Improving infrastructure and basic services</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/892361543028432121/republic-of-congo-poverty-assessment-report-improving-infrastructure-and-basic-services</p> <p>World Bank. (2023). <i>For the Republic of Congo, economic diversification offers a path to prosperity</i>. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/congo/publication/for-the-republic-of-congo-economic-diversification-offers-a-path-to-prosperity</p> </div> </div> </div> <script> // Function to generate the Table of Contents sidebar and toggle functionality document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { // Create the toggle button const toggleButton = document.createElement('a'); toggleButton.className = 'toc-toggle'; toggleButton.href = '#'; toggleButton.textContent = 'Table Of Content'; // Create the TOC sidebar const tocSidebar = document.createElement('div'); tocSidebar.className = 'toc-sidebar'; // Create an unordered list for the TOC const ul = document.createElement('ul'); tocSidebar.appendChild(ul); // Get all slide headings (h2 elements with class 'remark-slide-content') const slides = document.querySelectorAll('.remark-slide-content h2'); // Add each slide title to the TOC slides.forEach((slide, index) => { if (slide.textContent.trim() !== '') { // Skip empty or invalid headings const li = document.createElement('li'); const a = document.createElement('a'); a.textContent = slide.textContent; a.href = `#/slide-${index + 1}`; // Link to the slide (xaringan uses #/slide-1, #/slide-2, etc.) li.appendChild(a); ul.appendChild(li); } }); // Append the toggle button and TOC sidebar to the body document.body.appendChild(toggleButton); document.body.appendChild(tocSidebar); // Toggle visibility of the sidebar when the button is clicked toggleButton.addEventListener('click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); // Prevent default link behavior if (tocSidebar.classList.contains('active')) { tocSidebar.classList.remove('active'); toggleButton.textContent = 'Table of Content'; // Change text when sidebar is hidden } else { tocSidebar.classList.add('active'); toggleButton.textContent = 'Close'; // Change text when sidebar is visible } }); }); </script>