Fewer happy people in Turkey in 2014: Survey

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

The Turkish Statistical Institute’s survey shows a drop in the percentage of happy people in the country in 2014.

A lower percentage of Turkish people were happy in 2014 compared to the previous year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute’s “Life Satisfaction Survey 2014,” published on Feb. 13.

The percentage of people who described themselves as “happy” in 2014 fell to 56.3 percent, from 59 percent in 2013.

While 10.8 percent said they were “unhappy” in 2013, the percentage increased to 11.7 percent in 2014.

The percentage of happy women exceeds that of happy men, although both dropped from last year.

Some 60.4 percent of women said they were happy, down slightly from 61.9 percent in 2013, while 52 percent of men said they were happy, a drop of 4.1 percentage points.

The number of happy people among educated participants is higher than the number of happy people with a lower level of education. The level of happiness is 54.8 percent for primary-school graduates but 60.2 percent among university graduates.

Married individuals are happier than singles, with some 58.9 percent of married individuals saying they are happy and 50 percent of singles saying they are happy.

Some 68.8 percent of respondents said health was the most important source of happiness, while 15.4 percent said love was the main source of happiness.

Happiness varies across age groups, but generally older respondents described themselves as happier than younger ones. While 62.8 percent of people aged 65 and over said they are happy, the figure falls to 51.5 percent in the 45 to 54 age group.

Some 73.3 percent of respondents said the people who made them the happiest were their families.

The ratio of individuals who said they were “hopeful” about the future is 73.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the overall satisfaction level of respondents with public services also decreased compared to 2013’s results.

The highest satisfaction level was expressed for the public security services at 75.1 percent, followed by transportation services at 71.8 percent, health at 71.2 percent, education at 65.6 percent, social security services at 58.4 percent, and judicial services at 50.8 percent.

The Turkish Statistical Institute’s Life Satisfaction Survey has been carried out since 2003 through face-to-face interviews.

The latest survey was conducted in urban and rural areas, with a total of 7,368 individuals aged 18 and over.