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Age and Happiness

Author

Listed:
  • Piper, Alan

Abstract

This entry summarises quantitative research endeavours regarding the relationship between age and happiness. Firstly, the dominant finding in the literature is discussed: that, on average, happiness starts off high in early adulthood and declines to a midlife low and then, following the midlife low, average happiness increases again until retirement. As the discussion highlights, this midlife low finding has been found around the world, and at different time periods, with different datasets and methods. This entry also shows how some individuals suffer more at midlife than others, and discusses why this might be the case. While the dominant finding is largely (though not wholly) accepted, reasons for its existence and how it might be mitigated are less clear and remain to some extent a puzzle. The recommendations aim for more understanding here and regarding other trends at different parts of the lifecycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Piper, Alan, 2023. "Age and Happiness," MPRA Paper 117556, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:117556
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/117556/1/Encyclopedia%20Age%20and%20Happiness%20March%202023.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2009. "The U-Shape without Controls," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 896, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    2. Schwandt, Hannes, 2016. "Unmet aspirations as an explanation for the age U-shape in wellbeing," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 75-87.
    3. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2009. "The U-shape without controls: A response to Glenn," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 486-488, August.
    4. Glenn, Norval, 2009. "Is the apparent U-shape of well-being over the life course a result of inappropriate use of control variables? A commentary on Blanchflower and Oswald (66: 8, 2008, 1733-1749)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 481-485, August.
    5. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2008. "Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1733-1749, April.
    6. ., 2019. "Economic growth and happiness," Chapters, in: Managing without Growth, Second Edition, chapter 9, pages 209-240, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. David G. Blanchflower, 2021. "Is happiness U-shaped everywhere? Age and subjective well-being in 145 countries," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 575-624, April.
    8. Andrew E. Clark & Hippolyte d’Albis & Angela Greulich, 2021. "The age U-shape in Europe: the protective role of partnership," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 293-318.
    9. Clemens Hetschko & Andreas Knabe & Ronnie Schöb, 2014. "Changing Identity: Retiring From Unemployment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(575), pages 149-166, March.
    10. Piper, Alan, 2021. "Temps dip deeper: Temporary employment and the midlife nadir in human well-being," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    11. Andrew E. Clark & Hippolyte d'Albis & Angela Greulich, 2021. "The Age U-shape in Europe: The Protective Role of Partnership," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-03029862, HAL.
    12. Carol Graham & Julia Ruiz Pozuelo, 2017. "Happiness, stress, and age: how the U curve varies across people and places," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(1), pages 225-264, January.
    13. Piper, Alan T., 2015. "Sliding down the U-shape? A dynamic panel investigation of the age-well-being relationship, focusing on young adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 54-61.
    14. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2016. "Antidepressants and age: A new form of evidence for U-shaped well-being through life," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 46-58.
    15. John F. Helliwell & Haifang Huang & Max B. Norton & Shun Wang, 2019. "Happiness at Different Ages: The Social Context Matters," Springer Books, in: Mariano Rojas (ed.), The Economics of Happiness, chapter 0, pages 455-481, Springer.
    16. Oswald, Andrew J. & Tohamy, Ahmed, 2017. "Female Suicide and the Concept of the Midlife Crisis," IZA Discussion Papers 10759, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Andrew E. Clark & Hippolyte d'Albis & Angela Greulich, 2021. "The Age U-shape in Europe: The Protective Role of Partnership," Post-Print halshs-03029862, HAL.
    18. David G. Blanchflower & Carol L. Graham, 2022. "The Mid-Life Dip in Well-Being: a Critique," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 287-344, May.
    19. Andrew E. Clark & Hippolyte d'Albis & Angela Greulich, 2020. "The Age U-shape in Europe: The Protective Role of Partnership," Working Papers halshs-02872212, HAL.
    20. Daly, Mary C. & Oswald, Andrew J. & Wilson, Daniel & Wu, Stephen, 2011. "Dark contrasts: The paradox of high rates of suicide in happy places," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 435-442.
    21. Gerd Grözinger & Alan Piper, 2019. "Gender(un)gleichheit im Lebensverlauf [Gender (In)equality and the Life Course]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 99(4), pages 272-277, April.
    22. Kassenboehmer, Sonja C. & Haisken-DeNew, John P., 2012. "Heresy or enlightenment? The well-being age U-shape effect is flat," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 235-238.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age; ; Happiness; Life Satisfaction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

    NEP fields

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