At What Age Are People Happiest?

• Happiness is an intensely personal thing. Nothing is harder than simply being happy, and the pursuit of happiness can easily fill an entire lifetime.

Life Satisfaction

All of life? Perhaps not, actually, because happiness can depend on our age as well.

“What age are people happiest at?” indeed asked a team of German and Swiss researchers. To answer this existential question, they based their work on a massive sample totaling nearly half a million participants.

This in-depth survey gave them the opportunity to gauge, as best as possible, how well-being evolves across the life span. So, at what age would we be happiest, or feel happiest, according to this study? “We focused on changes in three core components of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, positive emotional states, and negative emotional states,” explains Susanne Bücker, a member of the research team, in a press release.

A Positive Trend Across Adulthood

According to this meta-analysis published on September 7, 2023, in Psychological Bulletin, respondents’ perceived happiness declines between ages 9 and 16, then increases slightly up to age 70, before decreasing again up to age 96.

 

Not surprisingly, the researchers attribute the slight dip in life satisfaction between ages 9 and 16 to body and social changes that occur during puberty. Life satisfaction rises again as adulthood begins.

Adolescence: A Challenging Period

Adolescence is marked by significant hormonal changes. These hormonal fluctuations can lead to mood swings and unstable emotions, which can make teens more susceptible to moodiness and sadness.

 

Socially, adolescents face new pressures and challenges. They begin to form a personal identity, search for their place in society, and establish more complex relationships with their peers. Social pressures, concerns about appearance, and popularity can create a stressful and anxiety-provoking environment.

Promoting Subjective Well-Being

Also unsurprisingly, toward the end of adulthood, all components of subjective well-being tend to deteriorate rather than improve. “This could be linked to the fact that in very old age, physical performance declines, health deteriorates often, and social contacts dwindle; especially as peers pass away,” suggests the researcher.

For the scholars behind this study, it is essential to monitor and promote subjective well-being across the lifespan. Regardless of our age, young or old, isn’t the key not only to be happy but to be aware of it?

Happiness is therefore a deeply subjective experience, since the notion of happiness varies from one person to another. What brings happiness to one person may not have the same effect on another. Our life experiences, values, expectations, and individual aspirations shape our perception of happiness.

Furthermore, happiness can be influenced by cultural, social, and environmental factors. What counts as a source of happiness can be strongly influenced by the society we live in, as well as by the norms and expectations that go with it.

In the end, the subjectivity of happiness underscores the importance of authenticity in the pursuit of happiness. It is essential to listen to our own needs and desires, rather than conform to others’ expectations. Happiness lies in understanding what personally nourishes us, and it is this personal quest that makes happiness so deeply subjective and unique to each individual.

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Also read

• Happiness: How it Works
• Finland: What’s the Secret to the World’s Happiest Country?

Article updated September 2026