Rate of Turkish people expressing happiness rises: Data
ANKARA
The rate of Turkish people aged 18 and above declaring themselves happy reached 52.7 percent in 2023, indicating an approximately 3 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to a survey by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).
According to the latest edition of the survey, which has been regularly published by TÜİK for more than two decades to gauge the satisfaction of the population in several aspects, women continued their trend from the previous year in that the satisfaction rate was higher than that among men.
With the rate of contended men manifesting at 50.3 percent, women surpassed this with an approximate rate of 55 percent.
Amid ongoing discussions on societal shifts in the country’s family structure following another data underlining an increase in the number of people living alone, the recent data from the institute revealed that married individuals felt more content with life compared to their unmarried counterparts.
The happiness rate among married individuals was 56.4 percent in 2023, whereas it was 45.8 percent for unmarried people.
Examining the satisfaction level of married individuals by gender, TÜİK said that 53.2 percent of married men and 59.5 percent of married women reported feeling happy.
Analyzing the happiness levels by age group, the data pointed out the highest increase in happiness among individuals aged 18-24, while those aged 55 and above experienced a decrease in happiness. A significant majority of individuals, around 70 percent, emphasized that their fundamental sources of happiness were their families and good health.
Out of 100 people, 67 hopeful about future
Out of every 100 individuals, 67 expressed optimism about their future concerning career, family life and health in 2023. On the other hand, 43 percent of participants who shared their expectations for the coming year stated that they did not anticipate any significant changes in their lives.
When asked about the country's most significant problem in 2023, the majority, with a percentage of 33.8, earmarked the cost of living.
The high cost of living was followed by challenges related to education, unemployment and poverty, the data showed.
According to data released by the Health Ministry in early 2024, patients primarily sought appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists, with Experts attributing this trend to the high inflation causing a rise in the cost of living and the collective trauma resulting from last February's earthquake.
Regarding personal safety while walking alone at night in their neighborhoods, approximately 32 percent of respondents expressed feeling unsafe, with this figure rising to about 44 percent among women.
Measuring the public's trust in judicial institutions and services, TÜİK reported that 41 percent of the population did not believe that laws were applied fairly and impartially to everyone. Additionally, 42 percent identified the duration for courts to conclude cases as one of the major problems within the judicial system.