More Than Half of Americans "Very Satisfied" With Personal Life

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup's annual Lifestyle poll finds Americans continuing to cite high levels of personal satisfaction and happiness, even amongst widespread dissatisfaction with national conditions. While money may not buy happiness, those with greater household incomes are more likely to report higher levels of personal satisfaction and happiness than those with less income. Being married is also strongly related to life satisfaction and happiness, and may be a more important predictor of these states of mind than income.

Personal Satisfaction

Eighty-four percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their personal lives, including 55% who say they are very satisfied. Only 15% are dissatisfied. These results are according to a Dec. 11-14, 2006, Gallup survey.

Americans have always reported a high level of personal satisfaction -- at least 8 in 10 have said so since 1993 (Gallup has asked this question since 1979). The lowest level of personal satisfaction Gallup has ever recorded was still robust -- 73% in July 1979.

That stands in stark contrast to the 30% of Americans who say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time. There have been several times in Gallup's polling history when there have been larger gaps between personal and national satisfaction, with the largest being a 64-point gap between personal (81%) and national (17%) satisfaction in January 1981.

Happiness

The poll also finds more than 9 in 10 Americans describing themselves as "happy." Specifically, 49% say they are "very happy," 47% "fairly happy," and just 4% are "not too happy."

A year ago, slightly more Americans, 53%, reported a high degree of happiness than the current 49%. Gallup's historical high point of 55% "very happy" came in 2004, while the low point came shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when a November 2001 survey found only 37% of Americans saying they were very happy. Gallup asked this question irregularly from 1948-1996, but has done so each year since 2000.

Variation in Satisfaction, Happiness

While the majority of Americans in every demographic group say they are personally satisfied and happy, money and marriage appear to go hand-in-hand with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Those living in upper income households are more likely to be satisfied with their lives and happier than those in middle and lower income households. Additionally, married Americans are more likely to report higher levels of satisfaction and happiness than those who are not married. The following table shows the results from the most recent survey, which are typical of what Gallup has found in the past.

An analysis of combined data from surveys conducted on these topics in 2004, 2005, and 2006 shows that marriage may be more strongly associated with personal happiness than money. Those who are married at any income level are as likely (if not more likely) to report being happy than even the wealthiest people who are not married. Specifically, 56% of married respondents in the lowest income category report being very happy, compared with 50% of unmarried respondents in the highest income category. Just 40% of unmarried respondents in the middle income category are very happy, as are 33% of those in the lowest income category. Meanwhile, 67% of married respondents in the highest income group say they are very happy.

A similar relationship exists when it comes to life satisfaction, though in this case unmarried Americans in the highest income group are as likely to say they are "very satisfied" with their personal lives as married Americans in the low and middle income groups. Married Americans in the highest income group (77%) are far more likely than any other group to say they are very satisfied with their personal life.

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,010 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Dec. 11-14, 2006. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

6.   In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in your own personal life?

7. Are you very [satisfied/dissatisfied], or just somewhat [satisfied/dissatisfied]?

COMBINED RESPONSES (Q.6-7)

8. Generally speaking, how happy would you say you are -- very happy, fairly happy, or not too happy?