Annual Happiness Index Again Finds One-Third of Americans Very Happy

NEW YORK, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Although one of the simplest emotions, happiness can be hard to explain.  The Harris Poll's annual Happiness Index is therefore useful as it uses standard and timeless questions to calculate Americans' overall happiness each year.  As was the case last year, one third (33%) of Americans this year are very happy which is slightly down from the 35% who were very happy in both 2008 and 2009.

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These are some of the findings of a Harris Poll® survey of 2,184 U.S. adults surveyed online between May 9 and 16, 2011 by Harris Interactive.  

The Harris Happiness Index is calculated by asking Americans if they agree or disagree with a list of statements, some positive and others negative.  Those who say they strongly agree with all of the positive statements, such as "my relationships with friends bring me happiness", "I rarely worry about my health" and "at this time, I'm generally happy with my life" and strongly disagree with all of the negative ones, such as "I frequently worry about my financial situation" and "I rarely engage in hobbies and pastimes I enjoy" are those who are considered very happy.

Interestingly, this year we also asked a few questions that are slated to be asked throughout the U.K. later in the year and when we directly questioned "overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?", fully 33% of Americans said they felt very happy, the same percentage calculated to be very happy by our Index.

Some other results of the poll include:

• As has been the trend since 2009, men seem to be getting less happy, as 31% are very happy this year, down from 32% last year and 34% in 2009 and women appear to be slightly happier than they were last year (36% vs. 35%) and overall happier than men;
• Looking by racial group, White Americans remain at 32% very happy which was the case last year, while African Americans show an increase in happiness this year, from 40% who were very happy last year to 44% this year.  Hispanics are now less happy than they were last year (35% vs. 39%) yet they remain happier overall than White Americans, as they have since 2009;
• While it's not surprising that those in our highest income bracket, earning $100K or more per year, are the happiest group (37%), it is interesting that the least happy are those who earn just slightly less, between $75K and $99.9K per year (29% very happy);
• Older Americans remain happier than those younger, as has been the case in all previous years—approximately two in five of those 50-64 years and 65 years and older are very happy (37% and 42%) compared to three in ten of all younger groups (between 29% and 31%); and,
• Those with more education are happier than those with less as 35% or more who have graduated from college are very happy, compared to only 32% who have never attended.

So what?

Although according to the Happiness Index only a third of Americans are very happy, data from the U.K.'s straight-forward questions show that eight in ten Americans are happy (81%), a number which includes those who are very happy (33%) and those who are somewhat happy (50%).   What this shows is that with all the economic woes and all the other issues swirling around Americans today, people aren't unhappy. And, if you look at the statements which make up the Happiness Index, friends and family matter. Two-thirds of U.S. adults strongly agree that they have positive relationships with their family (66%) and over half say their relationships with friends bring them happiness (59%). The greater the support network, the more joy one has in their lives.

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between May 9 and 16, 2011 among 2,184 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Where appropriate, these data were also weighted to reflect the composition of the adult online population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

The Harris Poll® #75, June 22, 2011

By Samantha Braverman, Sr. Project Researcher, Harris Interactive

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About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

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SOURCE Harris Interactive