Counterintuitive graph of the day

The variations across age and gender show that at this time, Americans’ happiness becomes progressively lower as one moves from groups of Americans in their 20s to those in their 30s and 40s, and — in particular — to American baby boomers who are now in their 50s. Thereafter, happiness is higher among the very oldest baby boomers and Silent Generation members in their 60s, but drops again among those 76 to 90. The data then show that the very oldest Americans, 91 years of age and older (of whom there are 9,654 in this sample), have a modestly more positive level of happiness in these latter years of their lives compared to youngsters only in their 80s. (Of course, this final “surge” in happiness may apply only to those of this very advanced age who enjoy enough independence to answer telephone calls and respond to the Gallup-Healthways survey).

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