OK, we need to take this research on when in their lives women are happiest with a few small pinches of salt, it is true. It was a survey done by a hair coloring company, it was indeed a survey not a study and it was of Englishwomen rather than across countries. That having been said though, we do indeed get a clear result: women are at their happiest when they are 28.

Researchers discovered women feel most confident and happy with their love life and body shape shortly before they reach 30.

It is also the period in their life when they enjoy the best sex – but the happiness is relatively shortlived.

Shortly before they reach 30 turns out to be 28:

“The age of 28 has been pinpointed as the time in a woman’s life their hair looks the best, body shape is at its peak and confidence is at an all-time high.

And as far as women’s happiness is concerned it is all downhill after that.

The reason for the downhill slope though, or rather the reasons enumerated, don’t seem all that strong to me though, I have to say. Fear of growing old? Going grey? Well, that last can be understood as the survey is coming from that hair color company but….

No, I think I’ve found something else entirely which explains it all a great deal better:

In 1961 the average age at first marriage in England and Wales was 25.6 years for men and 23.1 years for women; by 2000 this had risen to 30.5 and 28.2 years, respectively.

There it is folks, average happiness declines just at the average age of first marriage.

Our conclusion will have to be that this survey is telling us a great deal more about English men than it is about English women.