Here’s when you reach the saddest point in your life

A behavioural economist has analysed data in 72 countries, coming up with an average for when people are least content with life in each.

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HUMANS HAVE A u-shaped happiness curve, which reaches its midpoint about halfway through our lives.

Behavioral economist Andrew Oswald studied half a million people in 72 countries, and found that this happiness low-point is different in different countries.

According to his data, this is at what age you are going to hit the saddest point in your life, as reported by Maria Popova of Brain Pickings…

(If you are in Ireland, that age is 38.4 years, but the good news is that it’s all on the way up after that.)

Portugal 66.1
Italy 64.2
Greece 53.4
Denmark 50.1
Spain 50.1
Finland 49.9
Sweden 49.6
France 49.5
Netherlands 46.9
Belgium 46.4
United States 44.5
Germany 42.9
Luxembourg 41.3
Ireland 38.4
United Kingdom 35.8

For more on human happiness, you can read neuroscientist Tali Sharot’s book called The Science of Optimism: Why We’re Hard-Wired for Hope, and watch her 2012 TED talk.

- Randy Astaiza

Read: 21 reasons to be happy here in Ireland>

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