Happiness

Part of the Life Well Spent Report 2026

They’re called our ‘golden years’ for a reason, but how much happier are we in later life?

Happiness rises with age

When we asked people over 50 “how satisfied are you with your life as a whole nowadays” rated out of 10, 75% answered 6 or above (3% more than 2025). But 42% rated their life satisfaction an 8, 9 or 10 – which is 1% more than last year.

Happiness rises both with age and upon retirement. 52% (-1% since 2025) of retirees score eight or higher for overall life satisfaction, compared to just 33% of those who are still working or semi-retired. And 53% of people over 70 also gave these higher happiness scores.

What's more, the number of over 50s who rate their outlook as between 1 and 4 out of 10 stayed the same as 2025, at 15%. That's also 4% less than in 2022 when we released our first report.

Similar results can be seen when asked “how happy did you feel yesterday?”, with 58% of over 70s reporting high happiness, and 56% of retirees. This is compared to just 36% of 50 to 59-year-olds, and 46% of 60 to 69-year-olds.

Overall statistics: who is happiest with their life as a whole?

All UK Adults 18+	37%
18-29	31%
30-39	35%
40-49	29%
50-59	31%
60-69	40%
70+	53%
Male	35%
Female	38%
Retired	52%
Not retired	33%

Happiness varies by region

When looking at over 50s across the UK, the region with the highest proportion who rated their happiness as eight to ten was Northern Ireland, at 54%. This is closely followed by East Anglia at 52%. The region with the highest proportion of those who rated their happiness between one and four is the South West, at 24%, making it the unhappiest region.

When looking at all adults across the UK, both Wales and East Anglia are the happiest regions, with 47% in both areas rating their overall happiness between 8 and 10. The least happy region is Yorkshire and Humberside, as well as Scotland, with only 38% feeling the same.

Retirees are no more optimistic than those yet to retire

This year, 36% of over 50s feel very positive about their future, which is lower than the 39% last year. Interestingly, retirees are no less or more optimistic than those who have yet to retire (37%) with a fall of 5% from last year. This could indicate mounting concerns for themselves and/or loved ones, who are also feeling the strain in an uncertain time.

The most optimistic age range overall, however, is found in 30-to-39-year-olds, who achieve a 41% average, showing they feel very happy about what's to come.

Family, friends and nature make us happy

When asked what makes people happiest in life, the most popular answer among over 50s is family and friends (40%). Second is a partner (25%), third is good health (17%), and fourth is pets (17%).

There are some interesting differences in what over 50s and under 50s name as their happiness drivers. Over 50s are twice as likely to name their independence as a source of happiness, and more than 70% more likely to say being out in nature makes them smile. They are less likely to name food and drink or sex, the latter of which 12% of under 50s say makes them happy in comparison to 4% of over 50s.

Those over 50 who are the least satisfied with their lives as a whole are the most likely to name pets (26%) and not worrying about money (20%) as their main sources of happiness.

What makes you happy?

	Under 50s	Over 50s
Family and friends	34%	40%
My partner	22%	25%
Good health	13%	17%
Pets	13%	17%
Music	13%	12%
Not worrying about money	10%	13%
My home	10%	13%
Travelling	10%	13%
Relaxing	10%	10%
Being out in nature	7%	12%
Hobbies	8%	8%
Sex	12%	4%
Books/film/TV	8%	8%
Food/drink	6%	9%
My independence	5%	10%

The happiest people work less and spend more time in nature

The most popular pastime by quite a margin – for both the average and the happiest people – is watching TV and/or films.

Second is working or volunteering, although the happiest of over 50s spend an average of 37 minutes less on this a week. This supports our finding that happiness tends to increase upon retirement.

The happiest spend 40 minutes more a week in nature than the average over 50 year old. They also spend less time using public transport/driving and budgeting.

Those who report the least satisfaction with their lives are most likely to not spend any time on hobbies (24%), exercising (39%) or watching sports (50%).

How people spend their time