'People in their forties happier than those half their age'

Being in your 40s is often associated with having a midlife crisis, but a new study has found 40-somethings are actually happier than those in their 20s.

Researchers at the University of Alberta studied 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 43 years old over a 25 year period to pinpoint when the happiest years of your life take place.

The Canadian study found that people in their 40s are among the most satisfied with life, with levels of happiness increasingly steadily into middle age.

Nancy Galambos, researcher of the study, said: “I think it’s because life is more difficult for younger people than for people in middle age.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty. But by middle age, a lot of people have worked that out and are quite satisfied through the earliest child-bearing years.”

David Mensik, psychologist at Dalhousie University, said those in mid-life often know themselves better, boosting levels of happiness.

The happiest times are said to be when people are married and in good health, the study found.