By Jonathan Allen
NEW YORK Feb 14 (Reuters) – Nearly two-thirds of
married couples and people with a significant other say their
partner is the most important source of happiness in their
lives, according to a new global poll released on Valentine’s
Day.
And nearly half of all singles yearn above all else to find
a sweetheart, with about 45 percent saying finding a partner
would bring them the greatest happiness.
“What strikes us when we look at the data is that you have
this majority of global citizens who are really looking at home
for happiness,” said Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos
Global Public Affairs, which conducted the survey in 24
countries.
South Africa reported the highest levels of domestic bliss,
with 82 percent of settled South Africans saying nothing could
make them happier than their partner.
Japanese and South Korean couples were at the other end of
the scale. Nearly half said they would hesitate to say their
partner was the single best thing in their lives, although they
conceded that he or she was the source of at least some of their
happiness.
For many couples, about 38 percent globally, the best thing
about their relationship was the sex, according to the poll.
This was especially true for Brazilians. Nearly 60 percent said
that nothing could make them happier than having a good sex
life.
But the Japanese, South Koreans and Britons tended to value
other qualities in their partner. Only 15 percent of Japanese
ranked their sex lives above all else as a source of
contentment.
Single people in the same three countries also reported a
resilient independence, with only a third or less of single
Japanese, South Koreans and the Britons saying finding someone
to settle down with was the most important step in their search
for happiness.
Continued…
