Turkey sees rise in happiness levels in 2016

ANKARA

AFP photo

The overall level of happiness increased in Turkey in 2016 when compared with 2015, according to statistics released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK). 

In 2015, 56.6 percent of individuals said they were happy, which later increased to 61.3 percent in 2016. 

According to TÜİK’s Life Satisfaction Survey, the percentage of those who said they were unhappy with their lives in 2015 stood at 11.4 percent, which later decreased to 10.4 in 2016.

While the level of happiness was marked 60.2 percent for females in 2015, the percentage increased to 64.5 percent in 2016. The level of happiness for males increased to 58.1 percent from 52.9 percent. 

When analyzed by age groups, the highest level of happiness was seen among those aged between 18 and 24, with 65.1 percent, while the lowest level of happiness was among those aged between 35 and 44 with 58.2 percent in 2016.  

According to TÜİK, school dropouts were revealed to have higher levels of happiness, with 63.5 percent of them reporting they were content, followed by primary school graduates with 62.9 percent, primary education or junior high school graduates with 61.4 percent, higher education graduates with 60.2 percent and high school and equivalent graduates with 57.8 percent, respectively. 

When analyzed by gender, the survey noted that married females, who were 68.3 percent of the share, were happier than married males, with 60.8 percent. It gathered that married individuals were happier than unmarried individuals. While 64.7 percent of married individuals were happy, the share was 53.5 percent for unmarried ones in 2016.  

The statistics showed that families were a determining source of happiness for individuals. The percentage of individuals who mentioned that their families made them the happiest was 70.2 percent, while those with children where at 15.1 percent, spouse with 4.7 percent, parents with 3.6 percent, themselves with 2.7 percent, grandchildren with 1.9 percent and others with 1.7 percent. 

Health was another factor that determined the happiness of individuals. While the percentage of individuals who mentioned that their health made them happiest was 72.1 percent, love was determinant of happiness with 14.6 percent, success with 7 percent, money with 3.2 percent, work with 2.3 percent and other values with 0.8 percent, respectively.

According to TÜİK, the level of satisfaction from public services in general had increased. When the overall satisfaction level of individuals was examined in more detail, it was observed that the highest increase occurred in the services of the Social Security Institution with 9.2 percentage points in 2016, according to the results. The highest satisfaction level was recorded in transportation services with 78.4 percent, followed with public security services with 75.7 percent, health services with 75.4 percent, Social Security Institution services with 67.9 percent, education services with 65.1 percent and judicial services with 57.9 percent, respectively, in 2016.

In addition, the survey said 76.8 percent of the individuals were hopeful about their own future. The percentage of individuals who were hopeful about their own futures was 74.4 percent in 2015, while the percentage increased to 76.8 percent in 2016. The percentage of females who said they were hopeful about their own futures was 74 percent in 2015, increasing to 76.7 percent in 2016. While the amount of males who were hopeful about their own futures was 74.7 percent in 2015, the number increased to 77 percent in 2016.

The Life Satisfaction Survey has been carried out regularly every year since 2003 with the purpose of measuring the perception of overall happiness of individuals and social values, satisfactions with the main components of life and public services, and determining gradual changes in them in time.