EMBARGOED TILL 7PM WEDNESDAY 26TH MARCH 2008
Happiness in God’s Own
Middle-aged Kiwi blokes are the least happy people in New Zealand while women are happier than men overall and older New
Zealanders are the happiest age group in the country.
These are the findings from UMR Research which has surveyed 9000 New Zealanders over the last six months asking them to
rate how happy and satisfied they are with the way their life is going.
The research uncovered some interesting findings. The happiest region in New Zealand is Nelson and the least happy is
West Coast/Buller. For men, the happiest region is also Nelson, but the least happy is the home of the Southern Men -
Otago/Southland. Women are happiest in Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay, but they’re least happy in Auckland.
To lend support to the image of the ‘merry widow’, widows and widowers are happier than those who are married, in de
facto relationships, separated, divorced or never been married.
And money isn’t the source of happiness. Those on middle incomes were the least happy and those on high incomes were
only slightly happier than those on low incomes.
It may be though that by the time we’ve lived a long life we have found the answer to happiness as older New Zealanders
are the happiest of the lot.
ENDS
See... Happiness Survey (PDF)