Old people are happier than young people, study finds

People in their 20s have some catching up to do.

(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

published 24 August 2016

Getting old might not be as bad as it's cracked up to be. Though growing older inevitably comes with the aches and pains of an aging body, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry added further evidence to the theory that it also comes with increased levels of happiness. After surveying 1,546 San Diego residents between the ages of 21 to 99, researchers found that the older people were, the happier they seemed to be.

While the elderly suffered more physically and cognitively than younger individuals, it was people in their 20s and 30s who had "the highest levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, plus the lowest levels of happiness, satisfaction, and wellbeing," Time reported. "Contrary to the stereotype of old and grumpy, the study found older people to be happy and contented," Dilip Jeste, the study's lead author, told Live Science.

Studies have previously suggested that older people are happy, but happiness is usually cast in a bell-shaped curve, with a big dip during middle age. This study, however, found happiness peaking in old age. Researchers don't have an explanation for their findings, but they speculated it may be because with old age comes the wisdom and perspective to better deal with whatever comes your way.