Only three out of ten Romanians living in urban areas are happy while two out of ten consider themselves unhappy, according to a study by market research company Ipsos. As for what makes them happy, 57% of urban Romanians said the main reason is the relation with their family, children or friends.

The study was aimed at discovering how happy the Romanians are and what makes them happy, based on scores from zero (very unhappy) to ten (very happy).

Three out of ten respondents said they are happy. Most of them live in medium-sized cities, are married, have children, and have higher than average earnings, local Adevarul reported. They are optimistic, altruistic, sociable and friendly, and laugh daily.

The family is very important for the happy Romanians, the study showed. And, although it comes second, the career is also important for the respondents who said they are happy.

The study also revealed that the happy Romanians take part in activities related to children's education daily, they take time to play with them and have a close relationship with their partner. However, they also make time for themselves: they go to personal development courses, theater, cinema or spa, and often change their wardrobe. They are also independent people who are not afraid of change, they are active, travelling as often as they can, and most of them don’t smoke.

The same study showed that almost half (49%) of urban Romanians consider themselves satisfied (giving scores of 7 or 8 on the scale of happiness). These people admit that they don’t actively participate in raising and educating children, don’t go out with friends and rarely go out with their partner.

Meanwhile, two out of ten urban Romanians are unhappy. The people in this category are not married, they live in big cities, don’t have children, and are pessimistic.

The main thing that makes the Romanians happy is their relation with close relatives and friends. Married people primarily value family, children and parents. The list continues, at great distance, with the job/career (9%), health (9%), life in general (9%), money and financial stability (8%), holidays and travels (6%) or small joys of life/small things (5%).

Romania goes up in world happiness ranking

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Pixabay.com)