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| People aged 65 to 79 'happiest of all', study suggests | People aged 65 to 79 'happiest of all', study suggests |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Sixty-five to 79 is the happiest age group for adults, according to Office for National Statistics research. | Sixty-five to 79 is the happiest age group for adults, according to Office for National Statistics research. |
| The survey of more than 300,000 adults across the UK found life satisfaction, happiness and feeling life was worthwhile all peaked in that age bracket, but declined in the over-80s. | The survey of more than 300,000 adults across the UK found life satisfaction, happiness and feeling life was worthwhile all peaked in that age bracket, but declined in the over-80s. |
| Those aged 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction, with men on average less satisfied than women. | Those aged 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction, with men on average less satisfied than women. |
| That age group also reported the highest levels of anxiety. | That age group also reported the highest levels of anxiety. |
| Neuroscientist explains how happiness changes with age | |
| Where in Britain would you be happiest? | |
| Researchers said one possible reason for the lower happiness and well-being scores among this age group might be the burden of having to care for children and elderly parents at the same time. | Researchers said one possible reason for the lower happiness and well-being scores among this age group might be the burden of having to care for children and elderly parents at the same time. |
| Happily married | |
| Meanwhile, those who were younger or retired had more free time to spend on activities which promoted their well-being, the researchers suggested. | |
| Happiness and well-being dropped off again in those over 80, however, with researchers suggesting this could be down to personal circumstances such as poor health, living alone and feelings of loneliness. | Happiness and well-being dropped off again in those over 80, however, with researchers suggesting this could be down to personal circumstances such as poor health, living alone and feelings of loneliness. |
| The survey asked people to rate out of 10 how happy and how anxious they had felt the day before, how satisfied they were with their life generally, and how much they felt what they did in life was worthwhile. | |
| The published results have been broken down by age, ethnicity, religion, marital status, employment status, religion, and where in the country people live. | |
| They suggest: | |
| Why it's hard to measure happiness | |
| Can we make ourselves happier? | |
| Researchers found a strong link between health and well-being. | |
| People who said their health was very good reported an average life satisfaction rating of 8.01 out of 10, compared with people who said they were in very bad health, whose average rating was 4.91 out of 10. | |
| Ageing population | |
| The over-90 age group reported by far the lowest levels of feeling their life was worthwhile, even though their reported levels of happiness and life satisfaction were comparable to those in their 20s and 30s. | The over-90 age group reported by far the lowest levels of feeling their life was worthwhile, even though their reported levels of happiness and life satisfaction were comparable to those in their 20s and 30s. |
| Understanding how people of different ages rated their personal well-being could help policy makers target issues to improve lives, the study added. | Understanding how people of different ages rated their personal well-being could help policy makers target issues to improve lives, the study added. |
| "We know that the UK population is ageing. There were more than half a million people aged 90 and over living in the UK in 2014 - almost triple the number 30 years ago," it said. | |
| "This shift towards an older population will impact on important policies and services including the labour market, pension provision, and health and social care demand. | |
| "Understanding more about how the oldest age groups rate their personal well-being will help focus on issues that are fundamental to a good later life." |