Evaluating the Contribution of Free Meal Programs to Student Happiness and Policy Implications for Well-being in Indonesia

The newly elected president of Indonesia has proposed a free meals program to address the nutritional needs of the poor. This study examines whether the program aligns with public happiness. Using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey 5 (IFLS 5) this study analyzes the impact of daily meal consumption on self-reported happiness across different expenditure levels. Additionally, the effects of food variety and socio-economic characteristics, such as health, marital status, education, poverty, religiosity, residential safety, and depression, are also considered. Ordered logit regression results show significant correlations between daily meals and happiness generally, especially in the lowest expenditure levels. Control variables like marital status, health status, residential safety, religiosity and experience in economic disaster have stronger significant impact on individuals’ happiness. The findings suggest that while the free meals program has benefits, the government should also take into account the variety of the food provided, as well other factors that significantly influence happiness particularly for the poor