Study Reveals What Makes Australians Happy: Big Cities Cause People To Be Unhappy

Things that make Australians happy have been unveiled in a recent survey. The findings of Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) on happiness have been backed by vast data elicited from personal interviews on self-reported happiness and cover so many aspects.

The HILDA survey has been running since 2001. In the 2015 edition, interviews with 17,000 Australians were conducted. One chief finding of the latest survey is that big cities are creating unhappy Australians. Rural folks who are far removed from congested cities and crowds and roads, however, reported more happiness, particularly those living in towns or rural locations where the population is less than a thousand. The survey also said living in well-maintained homes and gardens are adding extra joy and satisfaction to the residents.

Alcohol and Health

According to Professor Roger Wilkins of the Melbourne University, who authored the report, the survey provided important data for Australians. “The report examines what makes Australians happy and healthy. It is a vital tool for researchers and policymakers who construct the social and economic direction for Australia,” Wilkins said. He said women in Queensland reported the highest levels of life satisfaction and happiness.

Apart from healthy weight and comfortable incomes, other ingredients for happy living in Australia are alcohol, a busy work-life and a quiet home. The survey noted that people who drink at least 42 alcoholic drinks a week, which is about six drinks a day, are still reporting high levels of health and well-being. The survey surmised that the more the people worked, the better it was for their health.

Many Australians reported that they were satisfied with working more than 51 hours in paid work and 81 hours in terms of total work. They do not mind overtime and see no detrimental effect of it on their well-being. Some of the interesting findings include ideas on improving earnings. Most professionals said changing employers was the best way to improve earnings.

The survey also noted that gender pay gap is increasing among part time workers. In the matter of relationships, it said most men and women in de facto relationships are more or less satisfied with their partners. When the duration of the relationship prolongs, the satisfaction level drops except in marriages where the relation has crossed 20 or more years.

The survey found that children who have moved out of the parental home at 21-24 years showed an optimal outcome in terms of income and wealth in later life. However, it was not the case with those who moved out before the age of 18 or over 25.

Sexual Orientation

As for the link between sexual orientation and happiness, the survey found people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual have poorer health and are less happy than heterosexuals. Gay and bisexual men were reported feeling less safe than heterosexual men. Also, the smoking rates were higher among the LGBT community with 33.8 per cent males and 26.8 per cent females being smokers in that group compared to 19.8 per cent and 14.1 per cent among heterosexual males and females, respectively.

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