Older Americans, Those Who Are Religious, and Even Political Party Members are Happier

NEW YORK, June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- How many adults do you know who you'd consider to be very happy? Would you include yourself in that count? Statistically speaking, there's about a one in three chance that you do: The Harris Poll^® Happiness Index, which uses a series of questions to calculate Americans' overall happiness, finds that roughly a third of Americans (34%) are very happy.

The Happiness Index looks at what's on the minds of Americans today, and reflects attitudes toward the state of affairs in our country. What's more, it offers a glimpse of which segments of our country's population are most and least happy.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,215 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 15 and 20, 2015. Full results of this study, including data tables, can be found here.

Better with age
Those 50 and older (36% ages 50-64, 42% ages 65+) are more likely to be very happy than their younger counterparts (percentages ranging from 30%-32% for adults under 50). Looking at how different generations respond to the series of questions on which the index is based provides some insights into the underlying factors driving these differences:

• Matures are more likely than any of their younger counterparts to agree with the statement "At this time I'm generally happy with my life" (92% vs. 82% of Baby Boomers, 78% of Gen Xers and 81% of Millennials). They're also less likely than other generations to indicate frequently worrying about their financial situation (49% vs. 61%, 71% and 75%) and – as one might expect, given that they're past the age of retirement – to report work frustrations (8% vs. 25%, 41% and 44%).
• On the other hand, Millennials are more likely than any of their elders to indicate being optimistic about the future (81% vs. 71% Gen Xers, 72% Baby Boomers, 70% Matures).

Women also happier
The Happiness Index also finds women (36%) are more likely than men (33%) to be very happy. A few specific factors appear to be driving this, with women more likely to agree that…

• "My relationships with friends bring me happiness" (92% women vs. 88% men)
• "At this time I'm generally happy with my life" (85% vs. 79%)
• "My spiritual beliefs are a positive guiding force for me" (77% vs. 64%)

Something to believe in
Many Americans look to a religious community or belief system – regardless of what religion they ascribe to – for comfort and support, and religious affiliation and practices appear to make Americans more likely to be very happy.

• Those who describe themselves as very or somewhat religious (38%) are more likely to be very happy than those who are not very or not at all religious (29%).
• Looking at a more behavioral measure of religious engagement, those who attend religious services regularly (42% among those attending weekly or more, 35% among those attending a few times per year or 1-2 times per month) are more likely to be very happy than those who don't (31% once a year or less, 30% never).

Another factor seemingly playing a role in happiness is one's political belief system. Both Republicans and Democrats (36% each) are more likely than Independents (32%) to be very happy.

Money matters
Money may not buy happiness per se, but having it certainly coincides with a higher probability that you're very happy. Americans with annual household incomes under $35,000 are less likely than those earning $35,000 or more to be very happy (30% vs. 35% $35k-<$50k, 34% $50k-<$75k, 35% $75k-<$100k), while those earning $100,000 or more are especially prone to being very happy (38%).

Financial expectations appear to be just as important as what Americans are earning presently:

• Those who expect their household financial situation to be better in the next six months (38%) are more likely to be very happy than those expecting it to remain the same (34%) – who, in turn, are more likely to be very happy than those expecting it to get worse (31%).
• Looking more broadly at expectations for the U.S. economy as a whole, those expecting it to get better in the coming year are more likely to be very happy (40%) than either those expecting it to stay the same (32%) or those expecting it to get worse (33%).

To see other recent Harris Polls, please visit TheHarrisPoll.com

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TABLE 1a
HAPPINESS INDEX – Trended Breakdowns
The Harris Poll Happiness Index is calculated by taking an average (mean) of those who strongly agree with positive statements and strongly disagree with the negative ones
Base:  U.S. adults

Note: *indicates this was a net of $75K+ in those years

TABLE 1b
HAPPINESS INDEX – Additional Breakdowns
The Harris Poll Happiness Index is calculated by taking an average (mean) of those who strongly agree with positive statements and strongly disagree with the negative ones
Base:  U.S. adults

TABLE 2a
HAPPINESS INDEX STATEMENTS – SUMMARY GRID
"Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements."
Base:  U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100 percent due to rounding

TABLE 2b
HAPPINESS INDEX STATEMENTS – TREND
"Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements."
Percent saying "Strongly/Somewhat Agree"
Base:  U.S. adults

TABLE 2c
HAPPINESS INDEX STATEMENTS – By Generation & Gender
"Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements."
Percent saying "Strongly/Somewhat Agree"
Base:  U.S. adults

Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online, in English, within the United States between April 15 and 20, 2015 among 2,215 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, The Harris Poll avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of The Harris Poll.

Product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

The Harris Poll^® #30, June 3, 2015
By Larry Shannon-Missal, Managing Editor, The Harris Poll

About The Harris Poll^®
Begun in 1963, The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys measuring public opinion in the U.S. and is highly regarded throughout the world. The nationally representative polls, conducted primarily online, measure the knowledge, opinions, behaviors and motivations of the general public. New and trended polls on a wide variety of subjects including politics, the economy, healthcare, foreign affairs, science and technology, sports and entertainment, and lifestyles are published weekly. For more information, or to see other recent polls, visit the TheHarrisPoll.com.

Press Contact:
Corporate Communications
The Harris Poll
585-272-8400
[email protected] 

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SOURCE The Harris Poll

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