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Who are the happiest people in the Land Down Under? According to new research, there are four characteristics that define them.
According to NAB’s latest quarterly Wellbeing Index, Aussies who are over 65, reside in Queensland, own a house and a pet were identified to be the happiest people in the country.
NAB executive Mark Baylis said pets, relationships, our home and feeling part of our local community all contributed to wellbeing.
“Queensland’s known as the Sunshine State. All those rays and the laid-back lifestyle might be among the reasons why it’s Australia’s happiest state,” Mr Baylis said.
While Queensland claimed the title as the country’s happiest state, the survey of over 2,000 Australians across all different age groups and geographical locations showed that people living in rural areas have the highest wellbeing — marginally ahead of those in capital and regional cities.
Having an animal companion was also highlighted to be a happy pill for most people, with almost 60 of those surveyed stating pets positively impact their wellbeing.
Community was named as a key happiness factor for those living in the big smoke, with over a third of Australians living in capital cities surveyed stating they benefit from feeling connected to their local community.
Overall, the survey revealed that Aussies were generally experiencing increased wellbeing and were significantly less anxious compared to three months ago.
And while “money doesn’t buy happiness”, the study showed that dealing with less financial stress aids in improving a person’s overall mental state.
“Encouragingly, more Australians have reduced their household debt in the past three months, and three-quarters of people aspire to save,” Mr Baylis highlighted.
Data showed that savings aspirations among Australians remained very high, with the number of people trying to save increasing to 76 per cent overall and to 96 per cent among 18-to-29-year-old women.
Additionally, expectations that wage increases would be coming was also among the reasons for the improved wellbeing outlook.
But he acknowledged that this is not the cause for everyone, with 10 per cent of people surveyed saying they think they will be worse off financially in 12 months.
Concerningly, the impact of the rising cost of living pressures has added strain to Aussies’ mental health, with one in four people saying they are financially worse off now compared to three months ago.
On top of that, rising costs were named as the biggest cause of stress for almost one in two surveyed or 48 per cent, followed by health issues (27 per cent), personal financial issues (26 per cent), mental health (26 per cent) and the economy (21 per cent).
Interestingly, the study found that what makes a person happy is likely to change as they get older.
For example, personal safety and physical health were key drivers of wellbeing for 18-to-29-year-olds, while standard of living was the main driver for those aged over 65.
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