Figures reveal middle age blues
Happiness levels plummet in middle age with this age group rating their life satisfaction levels lower than any other, according to new statistics.
Scores for satisfaction with life, to what extent they found the things they do in life are worthwhile and how happy they felt yesterday were on average lower amongst 45 to 54-year-olds in 2012/13 than in any other age band, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual population survey showed. Anxiety levels were also highest in this age group.
Younger people gave higher average ratings than those in mid life and those aged 65 to 79 had “significantly higher” average ratings than any other age group for how worthwhile they found the things they do in life and happiness levels, according to the research.
Amongst 16 to 19-year-olds, life satisfaction stood on average at 7.81 on a scale of one to 10, dipping to 7.12 amongst the 45 to 49 age group, before rising to 7.75 amongst 65 to 69-year-olds and 7.8 amongst 70 to 74-year-olds. Those aged 80 years and over gave lower average ratings for life satisfaction and happiness than those aged 65 to 79, probably because of higher levels of loneliness amongst this group, the ONS found.
Dawn Snape, head of measuring wellbeing at the ONS, said there was no “definitive” explanation as to why 45 to 54-year-olds were less happy than others.
“It could be a cohort effect, people born in different eras have different expectations and experiences that shape their sense of well-being and their expectations about life,” she said.
“Or it could reflect that we tend to have different experiences as we move through the life course and that at particular points in life, our wellbeing can vary. For example, it could be that the difference is related to child rearing or when your children get to more difficult ages for example.”
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