Young adults loving life

YOUNG adults are on a 16year happiness high, posting the highest satisfaction of any age group, a new study has found.

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index measured the annual life satisfaction of more than 60,000 Australian adults between 2002 and 2017, and found the youngest are getting happier and the oldest are getting less happy.

In fact, young adults — whether they live with their parents or not — are happier now than they were at the turn of the century.

Their life satisfaction score is now 77.8 out of 100 compared to 73.4 in 2002. The results also show females are more satisfied than males, and those with higher incomes are happier generally, except for those in the $500,000-plus category.

Happiness is also linked to living with a partner, having children and being married.

Single parents who are divorced or separated tend to be less happy. The retired are the most satisfied occupational group and the unemployed the least satisfied.

Lead author Delyse Hutchinson, a Deakin University senior research fellow, said the findings “appear to run counter to the prevailing view that young Australians are increasingly burdened by issues such as being locked out of the housing market, education debt, and suggestions digital technology and social media are creating a generation of isolated young people”.

“Rates of alcohol use and smoking among young Australians have also been steadily declining,” she said.

Although those over 76 had consistently high wellbeing levels, there has been a decline in their satisfaction.

In 2002, the average wellbeing score in this category was 79.5 but it was down to 77.2 in 2017. Older people reported declining wellbeing in terms of future security, personal relationships, achievement in life and standard of living.