Four-fifths New Zealanders highly satisfied with lives: survey

Most New Zealanders are highly satisfied with their lives and have a high sense of purpose or meaning in their lives, the government statistics agency said Tuesday.

A survey of almost 9,000 people by Statistics New Zealand found 83 percent were highly satisfied with their lives and 87 percent rated their sense of purpose highly.

"It's a complex picture, but without a doubt most New Zealanders say they're doing pretty well, have enough money, have good health, and see family and friends," Statistics New Zealand's Phillip Walker said in a statement.

"There's real variation between people, but overall we can say that older people are more likely to be satisfied with their lives and to rate their sense of purpose highly. Maybe that's because they tend to be more financially secure, or have managed to achieve a good balance between work and play," said the statement.

Conversely, younger age groups tended to be less satisfied and less likely to rate their sense of purpose highly.

Money made a difference, but only to a point.

"If you're not earning much, you are less likely to be satisfied with life. That satisfaction increases with income until 70,000 NZ dollars (51,212 U.S. dollars) a year, and after that the gains are much smaller," Walker said.

It also found the indigenous Maori -- at 78 percent -- were less likely to be satisfied with their lives than other ethnic groups.

"It's clear that a handful of key factors point towards life satisfaction -- finances, social connections, health, and housing. If you've got those, you're likely to be doing okay," said Walker. Endi