Source: Fortune
Summary
Economist Sam Peltzman has been tracking the General Social Survey’s happiness data, which shows a significant drop in happiness among Americans since 2020. The data reveals that the decline is not solely due to economic factors, as the unhappiest Americans are not the ones who are struggling financially. Instead, married people are still generally happy, while unmarried people are now, on net, unhappy. Peltzman notes that this is not due to a decline in marriage rates, but rather a change in how married and unmarried people feel about their lives.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. The happiness gap between married and unmarried Americans has widened significantly since 2020. Married people are holding steady, while unmarried people are feeling the brunt of the happiness crash. The data suggests that the social glue is coming apart, with Americans feeling less treated fairly by others. Peltzman’s research reveals a happiness-segregated society by marriage, with married people being the only group with a clear positive balance in happiness.
We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage.
Author: Evan Null
