Impacts of Road Access on Subjective Well-being in Timor-Leste

摘要

The impacts of access to roads on subjective well-being at the household level are empirically examined using Timor-Leste's nationally representative surveys. This paper examines not only the quantity, but also the quality of road infrastructure and, thus, extends existing studies that only consider the benefits of road accessibility. It is found that proximity to main roads may not necessarily result in improved welfare. Instead, ensuring all-weather access to roads appears to be a more significant factor in raising household well-being. Specifically, road accessibility during the rainy season reduces the probability of households reporting a less than adequate' (low satisfaction) response by 13-25 percent. This suggests that in Timor-Leste, and likely in other developing economies under similar conditions, maintenance of existing roads is more essential to well-being than building more roads.