Cathal BarryThe findings also reveal that people who are married with children are generally more satisfied than people who own flashy sports cars or too many houses.
Religious people who practise their faith are among the happiest in the country, a new study on contentment has found.
The findings also reveal that people who are married with children are generally more satisfied than people who own flashy sports cars or too many houses.
The study of responses by more than 2,500 Irish participants in a European social survey has confirmed once again that satisfaction cannot be defined by the standard media concepts of “happiness”.
The findings put paid to the notion that contentment is best found in owning a “large automobile”, a “beautiful house” and “beautiful” spouse. Instead, the data clearly illustrates that happiness is best found in having a family and practising faith.
The analysis of the data by a University College Cork (UCC) economist found that contentment was at its highest among residents of rural Ireland, among those over 65 but “not unemployed” and those with children and religion as a part of daily life.
Having regular social contact and being a trusting person were also influential factors, according to the survey which was analysed by Dr Edel Walsh of UCC.
Dr Walsh explained that policymakers tended to be more interested in monitoring factors that affected wellbeing.
There are sound economic reasons for this, as higher levels of wellbeing lead to less absenteeism, lower staff turnover and greater productivity.
She also noted that countries with higher rates of satisfaction tended to have fewer divorces.
Although the data she analysed was first collected during the recession in 2010, it showed that income had a “significant” but “modest” impact on satisfaction.