Datastream
Charted: Money Can Buy Happiness After All
The Briefing
- Previous research has indicated that money stops buying happiness after $75,000/year
- However, new research finds a strong correlation between income and happiness, trending upwards even after $80,000/year
In One Chart: Money Can Buy Happiness After All
What’s the relationship between money and happiness? Previous studies have indicated that, while money can in fact buy happiness, it plateaus at approximately $75,000/year.
However, new research suggests otherwise.
Using over a million real-time reports from a large U.S. sample group, a recent study found that happiness increases linearly with reported income (logarithmic), and continues to rise beyond the $80,000/year mark.
Below, we’ll provide more details on the research methodology, while touching on a few possible reasons why higher incomes may improve people’s happiness levels.
How is Happiness Measured?
Past research on happiness relative to income has relied on retrospective data, which leaves room for human memory errors. In contrast, this new study uses real-time, logged data from a mood tracking app, allowing for a more accurate representation of respondents’ experienced well-being.
Data was also collected by random prompts over a period of time, with dozens of entries logged for each single respondent. This provides a more well-rounded representation of a person’s overall well-being.
Two forms of well-being were measured in this study:
- Experienced well-being
A person’s mood and feeling throughout daily life. - Evaluative well-being:
Someone’s perception of their life upon reflection.
Both forms of well-being increased with higher incomes, but evaluative well-being showed a more drastic split between the lower and higher income groups.
The Results (Measured in Standard Deviations from Mean)
Annual Income | Well-Being (Experienced) | Well-Being (Evaluative) |
---|---|---|
$15,000 | -0.21 | -0.34 |
$25,000 | -0.11 | -0.32 |
$35,000 | -0.09 | -0.19 |
$45,000 | -0.06 | -0.15 |
$55,000 | -0.05 | -0.07 |
$65,000 | -0.03 | -0.04 |
$75,000 | -0.01 | -0.02 |
$85,000 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
$95,000 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
$112,500 | 0.04 | 0.08 |
$137,500 | 0.06 | 0.17 |
$175,000 | 0.08 | 0.17 |
$250,000 | 0.17 | 0.24 |
$400,000 | 0.19 | 0.35 |
$625,000 | 0.15 | 0.38 |
Why Does Money Buy Happiness?
The report warns that any theories behind why happiness increases with income are purely speculative. However, it does list a few possibilities:
- Increased comfort
As someone earns more, they may have the ability to purchase things that reduce suffering. This is particularly true when comparing low to moderate income groups—larger incomes below $80,000/year still showed a strong association with reduced negative feelings. - More control
Control seems to be tied to respondents’ happiness levels. In fact, having a sense of control accounted for 74% of the association between income and well-being. - Money matters
Not all respondents cared about money. But for those who did, it had a significant impact on their perceived well-being. In general, lower income earners were happier if they didn’t value money, while higher income earners were happier if they thought money mattered.
Whatever the cause may be, one thing is clear—Biggie Smalls was wrong. Looks like more money doesn’t necessarily mean more problems.
»Like this? Then you might enjoy this article, Which Countries are the Most (and Least) Happy?
Where does this data come from?
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Details: Participants were 33,391 employed adults living in the United States; median age was 33; median household income was $85,000/y (25th percentile = $45,000; 75th percentile = $137,500; mean = $106,548; SD = $95,393); 36% were male; and 37% were married
Datastream
Ranked: The Top Online Music Services in the U.S. by Monthly Users
This graphic shows the percentage of Americans that are monthly music listeners for each service. Which online music service is most popular?

The Briefing
- Two-thirds of music listeners in the U.S. used YouTube at least once per month
- 64% of music listeners use multiple music services per month
The Top Online Music Services in the U.S.
The music streaming industry is characterized by fierce competition, with many companies vying for market share.
Companies are competing on multiple fronts, from price and features to advertising and exclusive content, making it a challenging market for companies to succeed in.
YouTube (the standard offering and YouTube Music) has the highest amount of users, attracting around two-thirds of music listeners in the U.S. during a given month. This is largely due to the YouTube’s massive reach and extensive catalog of music.
Here’s a full rundown of the top music streaming services in the U.S. by monthly listeners:
Rank | Music Service | % of U.S. Music Listeners Who Use Monthly |
---|---|---|
#1 | YouTube | 61% |
#2T | Spotify | 35% |
#2T | Amazon Music | 35% |
#4 | Pandora | 23% |
#5 | SiriusXM | 21% |
#6 | Apple Music | 19% |
#7 | iHeartRadio | 15% |
#8 | SoundCloud | 10% |
#9 | Audacity | 6% |
#10T | TuneIn | 5% |
#10T | Deezer | 5% |
#10T | Napster | 5% |
#10T | Tidal | 5% |
Two companies are in the running for second place: Spotify and Amazon Music.
Spotify leads in one important metric: number of paid users. Meanwhile, Amazon Music has a large user base since the service is bundled into Prime—however, recent changes mean that without a premium subscription, shuffled playback is the primary option. Time will tell what impact those changes will have on the service’s market share.
Prices for premium music services are beginning to creep upward. Apple Music and Amazon Music raised their prices, and it’s rumored that Spotify will not be far behind. This move would be significant because, in the U.S., Spotify hasn’t raised its prices in over a decade.
Rising prices and more aggressive promotion of premium subscriptions could be a signal that music streaming services are transitioning from a focus on capturing market share to monetizing existing users.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Activate Technology and Media Outlook 2023 by Activate Consulting
Data note: “Music services” include free and paid services used for listening to music through any format excluding terrestrial radio. “Music listeners” are defined as adults aged 18+ who spend any time listening to music.
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