Happiness Index

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In 2003 McNair Ingenuity Research [1] conducted a happiness Index Poll. A similar poll was carried out in 2006. The Happiness Index Polls asked a representative sample of over 1,000 people across Australia to rate how happy they feel most of the time using a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 was ‘unhappy’ and 10 was ‘extremely happy'.

According to the 2006 happiness index the average score was 7.6 out of 10 with most Australians rating themselves as being fairly happy most of the time^[1]. While 3% of adult Australians rate themselves at the unhappy end of the scale, below 5. Only 1% of Australians were 'not very happy most of the time'. Thirteen percent of Australians rated themselves as a 5 or 6 out of 10. Twenty-two percent of Australians gave themselves a 7. While the most common choice was an 8 out of 10, which was how 40% of Australians rated their level of happiness most of the time. At the top of the scale, 14% of Australians assessed themselves at 9 out of 10, and 9% gave the top rating of 10 out of 10, which meant they were extremely happy most of the time.

The table below displays the results of the 2006 McNair Gallup Happiness Index by region and state.

Happiness Index out of 10	Total	Metro	Regional	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA^*	WA^*	TAS^*
Average	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.7	7.6	7.5	7.8	7.7
I feel more confident about buying a few luxury items at the moment than I did a few months ago	9%	8%	10%	8%	10%	11%	6%	5%	10%

* Results to be used with caution due to small sample size.

Compared to a similar measure conducted just over two years ago Australians rated slightly happier, at 7.6 in 2006, compared to 7.5 at the end of 2003. There was a slight improvement in happiness amongst Australians in regional and rural Australia over the three years 2003-2006 climbing from 7.5 in 2003 to 7.7 in 2006. The happiness of regional and rural Australia has overtaken city dwellers whose happiness index has remained unchanged at 7.6 out of 10. On a state-by-state basis, the biggest increases were amongst Victorians and Western Australians. In Western Australia. NSW and South Australia rated as the least happiest states. This represents a large shift for South Australia who in 2003 held the position of happiest state in Australia.

The table below displays the results of the McNair Gallup Happiness Index by employment status.

Happiness Index out of 10 (2006)	Total	Working full time	Working part time	Retired	Not working
Average	7.6	7.7	7.5	7.8	7.3
Percent rating themselves 10 out of 10	9%	8%	7%	15%	7%

The 2006 happiness Index found that retired Australians and those working full-time were the happiest, whilst Australians of working age who were not employed were least happy^[2].

The table below displays the results of the Index by gender and age. The 2006 Happiness Index found that Australians aged 18 to 29 and 60+ were the happiest, whilst Australians aged 50-59 years were least happy. Women were found to be slightly happier than Men.

Happiness Index out of 10 (2006)	Total	Men	Women	Age 18-29	Age 30-39	Age 40-49	Age 50-59	Age 60+
Average	7.6	7.6	7.7	7.8	7.6	7.6	7.4	7.7
Percent rating themselves 10 out of 10	9%	10%	9%	7%	8%	6%	7%	16%
Change compared to late 2003	+0.3	-0.1	+0.4	+0.1	-0.1	+0.0	-0.1	+0.3

The survey also showed that affluent people were happier. Those surveyed in households with an average income of over $100,000 per annum had an average happiness score of 7.9, far higher than those with incomes below $100,000. Conversely, people living in households with total incomes of below $30,000 per annum were the least happy, with a score of 7.4^[3].

When the 2006 survey results were compared along political lines in Australia, the survey found that Coalition supporters rated themselves with an average score of 7.8, making them typically happier than Labor supporters supporters, who had an average score of 7.6. Supporters of, the Greens were the least happy, with an average score of 7.5^[4].