Are Married People Happier than UnMarried People?
Sunday, June 24th, 2007A 2003 study provided insight into the complex relationship between marital status and happiness. Researchers found that people get a small boost in life satisfaction from marriage. This research found that the happiness boost that we get is only one tenth of one point on an 11-point scale. Researchers suggest that it is probably due to our initial reactions to marriage and that we then return to prior levels of happiness. The study took place over 15 years and involved over 24,000 individuals living in Germany. Researchers also found that most people who get married and stayed married had been more satisfied with their lives than their non-married peers even before their marriages occurred.
Across the world, an array of studies show comprehensively that, compared to the unmarried, married people:
- are happier;
- are healthier and live longer;
- earn more, work harder, and save more