Unhappy? Anxious? Dissatisfied? You must be middle-aged.
Middle-aged people have the lowest levels of life satisfaction, suffer from the highest levels of anxiety and are overall the least happy, according to a new study from Britain’s Office for National Statistics.
Related: The 20 Unhappiest States
Statisticians analyzed personal wellbeing data from more than 300,000 adults in the U.K. from 2012 to 2015, and discovered that happiness and life satisfaction nose-dived once people reached age 35 and over.
The trend began to reverse, though, once people were past the middle-age hump. Those ages 65-79 reported the highest average level of personal wellbeing, and even though levels dipped again as respondents moved into old age, the average was still well above that of middle age.
Those between ages 16 and 19 also reported the highest average ratings of life satisfaction, but once respondents moved into their 20s, the average began slipping.
The report suggests one possibility behind the high unhappiness level among middle-aged people is because of the uptick in responsibilities. Many of these people are looking after both young children and aging parents while also balancing the demands of work. More demands mean less free time to enjoy yourself, most likely contributing to the unhappiness.
Related: The Super Rich Are as Miserable as the Rest of Us
Younger people and seniors typically don’t have to deal with as many obligations, leaving more time for fun activities. Another reason older people might be happier is because they’ve learned to appreciate life.
Not only do happiness levels fluctuate by age, they also vary by state. Check out the 20 unhappiest states in the U.S. here.
