What Drives the Long-Term Decline in Youth’s Life Satisfaction?

Background: Life satisfaction is a key indicator of overall happiness and a predictor of individual success in education, employment, and well-being in later life. Recent findings of a long-term decline in life satisfaction among young people in Britain are concerning. This study explores the factors driving this trend, aiming to identify sources to inform targeted interventions.

Method: We apply linear regression and fixed effects models to analyse life satisfaction trends among 11-15-year-olds in Britain from 1994/1995 to 2021/2022, using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study and its predecessor. Participants rated their life satisfaction on a 7-point scale. Our objectives are twofold: (1) to identify period effects independent of life-course changes, and (2) to assess the role of individual, family, socio-economic risks, and domain-specific satisfaction with schoolwork, family, friends, and appearance in explaining the trend.

Results: The findings reveal a persistent decline in life satisfaction, beginning well before the Covid-19 pandemic. By 2018/2019, average life satisfaction was 1.5 points below 1994/1995 levels, declining to a gap of 1.9 points by 2021/2022. This decline was more pronounced among girls than boys. The time trend is not explained by worsening individual, family, or socio-economic risks, nor by cohort effects. Instead, declining satisfaction with family life and appearance accounts for most of the observed drop in life satisfaction.

Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of addressing factors beyond traditional socio-economic risks in understanding adolescent well-being. Interventions that focus on body image and family dynamics might be crucial for mitigating the long-term decline in life satisfaction among youth.