Good news: Economic stress means middle age starts earlier now

Katy Hartley, the director of the centre, which aims to improve quality of life, said stress about the economy and healthcare that you would typically associate with turning 40 is starting at a younger age.

“The data suggests the new age for middle age is 35,” she said in an interview.

Nearly 80 per cent of 35 year olds questioned for the Philips Index said they were concerned about the economy, and three-quarters were also worried about healthcare. These stresses, according to the study, have contributed to an apparent early onset of middle age and the loss of five years of youth.