The Life Satisfaction Curve
The Life Satisfaction Curve illustrates how age and generational factors shape happiness over time. This well-known analysis, popularised in the 1970s and replicated across many studies, shows life satisfaction as a U-shape: high in youth, dipping to its lowest point around midlife (often near age 50), then rising again in later years.
The narrative behind the curve reflects youthful optimism, midlife challenges and stress, and later-life gains in confidence, acceptance, and a renewed sense of carpe diem.
The New Life Satisfaction Curve
Recent studies suggest the curve is changing - especially among younger generations- and our research reflects this trend. We asked the same question posed in previous studies and observed a similar shape in both the UK and US.
The classic U-shape remains but is less pronounced. Satisfaction now starts lower at 18, peaks in the 20s rather than teens, dips around age 50, and rises steadily through the 60s and 70s. This shift highlights two truths: rising anxiety among teenagers and improved health and wellbeing in older adults.
Plotting generations on this curve offers valuable insight into how ageing experiences differ—and how they may evolve.
Our first Generations Study, conducted in October 2023, uncovered a wealth of similarities and differences both across and within generations. Given the monumental changes since then, we repeated and expanded the study in May 2025. Generational research benefits from longitudinal data, enabling more meaningful and valid comparisons over time.
Our latest study includes a comprehensive survey of 4,450 people across the UK and US, covering a broad spectrum of topics. It also features 20 in-depth interviews in both countries with ‘everyday experts’ - individuals who work closely with multiple generations in fields such as health, education, hospitality, retail, psychology, and sports coaching.
The findings are fascinating, and this summary represents just the tip of the iceberg. For brevity and focus, we’ve concentrated on UK data here. There’s much more to explore, and we’ve detailed options for further discovery. Reach out at hello@the-nursery.net