Happiness increases with age, according to a study conducted for HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC) and reported by MarketWatch. What is happiness? Why does it increase with age?

This study implicitly defined happiness as a combination of health, freedom from financial worry, and control over one's life. According to the study, a majority of people in their 60s and 70s report being healthy and in control of their lives -- and as happy as many respondents in their 40s. This is the key finding of HSBC's survey of 21,000 people in 21 countries and spanning four age groups, each decade from age 40 to age 80.

Health is surprisingly good but varies by country. Overall, just 14% of those 60 to 79 in the U.S. said they're in poor or very poor health, while 86% say they're in fair, good or very good health. Poor health is lower in some countries -- Brazil (10%) and Mexico (10%) -- and higher in others -- Asia (18%), South Africa (32%), Russia (35%) and Turkey (35%).

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Why older people are happier originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 May 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.