How difficult is it to interpret subjective well-being questions during crises? Evidence from the onset of conflict in Yemen.

This article examines the challenges of interpreting changes in subjective well-being (SWB) measures—such as satisfaction with income or food consumption—following large shocks or policy changes, using the 2014 capture of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, by Houthi forces as a case study. Despite significant declines in objective well-being indicators like consumption, employment, and food security after the capture, household survey data revealed a paradoxical increase in reported satisfaction across multiple welfare dimensions, suggesting that individuals altered how they responded to SWB questions. The study highlights that SWB responses vary depending on the respondent's identity, question wording, and survey context, and that similar discrepancies between SWB and objective measures also occurred in other Middle East and North Africa countries following major political shocks. These findings underscore the importance of triangulating SWB data with objective well-being metrics and carefully considering survey design when using SWB measures to assess the impacts of crises or policy interventions.