The pursuit of happiness is a universal quest. Many of us feel that everyday life is only as good as its moments of bliss—and those moments are the fuel that keeps us going, day after day. Happiness, it seems, is an essential ingredient for living a good life.
Unfortunately, many of us feel that happiness is elusive or fleeting. Or, worse, that our happiest days are already behind us, never to come again. However, recent research shows that most people experience a steady rise in happiness as they grow older. The research also found that there is even a specific era of our lives when we feel the happiest and most confident. Not only are the findings surprising—they’re also encouraging.
At what age do we feel happiest?
To answer this question, a team of German and Swiss researchers conducted a study involving over 460,000 participants from different countries and cultures. “We focused on the evolution of three essential components of subjective well-being—satisfaction with life, positive emotional states, and negative emotional states,” explains Susanne Bücker, first author of the study.
After analyzing the results, the researchers found that there’s a certain age when people are happiest: 70. They also found that happiness across lifespan exists on a spectrum of valleys and peaks over time: Satisfaction with life declines between ages nine and 16, rises to reach its peak at age 70, then declines again until age 96 (the oldest age recorded in the study).
“Overall, the study shows a positive trend over a large period of life, if we consider life satisfaction and negative emotional states,” says Bücker, who notes that by the age of 70, most people are less preoccupied with career and material matters, and have more time for themselves and their loved ones. Plus, these wiser septuagenarians feel that the most difficult and stressful experiences in life are behind them, while a sense of accomplishment helps lessen daily anxiety.
Happiness is a lifetime pursuit
That said, not all scientists agree on the precise age at which we feel happiest. For the London School of Economics, 23 is the age at which happiness is at its peak, as young people are often the most optimistic and confident about the future. According to researchers at Harvard, the age of 35 is the happiest, as that’s when most of us begin to stabilize our lives, reach professional heights, and have stronger social ties—all of which contribute to our sense of total fulfillment.
