London - People in their early fifties are the most unhappy in Britain, a study has found.
Official figures show a “shape” of happiness throughout the average lifetime, with youngsters and the retired at the top, while those in their late forties and early fifties languish at the bottom.
The Office for National Statistics said people felt most miserable at the age when they often had most responsibilities, but still saw retirement as out of reach.
As well as still working, many middle-aged people are stretched between the dual responsibilities of looking after children – who typically leave home much later – and elderly parents who are living longer but require more care.
“There is a very strong age profile which shows that well-being dips when people are middle-aged,” said Glenn Everett, director of the ONS Measuring National Well-being Programme.
“Perhaps it is when you have got kids and a mortgage compared to when you are young and have fewer responsibilities. When people are nearing retirement, your well-being picks up again, which may be due to reduced responsibilities or greater contentment.”
The evidence of middle-aged misery was uncovered in a government-funded well-being survey, which attempts to measure the nation’s life satisfaction.
According to the findings, happiness generally falls after the age of 19, a time when university and establishing a career beckons.
It doesn’t rise again until people reach their late fifties. Then it continues to increase until age 75, after which it dips slightly. But it’s not all bad news. The survey of 165 000 people found Britons are more satisfied with their lives than at any time since 2011.
Anxiety levels have also fallen, while happiness and feelings that life is worthwhile have increased.
The ONS said people appeared to be feeling more positive about the economy as a result of falling unemployment rates. Dawn Snape, one of the co-authors of the report, said: “The unemployment rate has a profound impact on happiness. Not only does it affect the people who are unemployed, but also those people around them.”
Although wages are currently rising at just half the rate of inflation, she said many could see “the light at the end of the tunnel”.
“They are starting to feel their finances are getting better even when, objectively, we know that is not the case,” she said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered the annual research, first published in 2012, after deciding the Government should be informed about quality of life.
Previously criticised for producing predictable results, the £1.5-million-a-year inquiry into Britain’s national well-being measures everything from job satisfaction to levels of depression.
The personal well-being section – which asks four questions about happiness, life satisfaction, anxiety and whether life is worthwhile – costs £200 000 alone. -
Daily Mail