Money does buy happiness but only up to $36K

Washington - While it is widely believed that money can not buy love, a new study has suggested that it can buy you happiness but only up to a ‘sweet spot’ of 36,000 dollars GDP per person. A new analysis led by economists Eugenio Proto in the Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy at the University of Warwick and Aldo Rustichini, from University of MInnesota found that as expected, for the poorest countries life satisfaction rises as a country’s wealth increases as people are able to meet their basic needs. However, the new surprise finding is that once income reaches a certain level – around 36,000 dollars, adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) - life satisfaction levels peaks, after which it appears to dip slightly in the very rich countries. The researchers found suggestive evidence that this happiness dip in the wealthiest countries is because more money creates higher aspirations, leading to disappointment and a drop in life satisfaction if those aspirations are not met. The study was published in journal PLOS ONE.