Happiness, taxes and social provision: A note

•The effects of the ratio between taxes and social provision on population well-being for ten European countries.•We use a panel cointegration analysis.•We control for the 2008 financial crisis.

This paper has analyzed the effects of the ratio between taxes and social provision on population well-being for ten European countries. The linkages between what citizens would expect in return of the taxes paid and their well-being have clearly become stronger after the crisis and it should be taken into account in the debate on public policies and how these translates in population well-being.