A new study challenges the common belief that having children leads to lasting happiness, finding little difference in overall wellbeing between parents and non-parents.
Published in Evolutionary Psychology, the research analysed data from over 5,000 people across 10 countries, including the UK. It examined both everyday emotional wellbeing—such as happiness, sadness and loneliness—and a deeper sense of meaning or purpose in life.
Results showed that parents were no happier than non-parents when factors like relationship status were considered. Overall life satisfaction was also similar between the two groups. There was a slight increase in a sense of meaning among mothers, but the difference was minimal.
The researchers stated: 'In general, combining our findings with prior research suggests that parenthood is either neutral or has a very small impact on hedonic wellbeing and life satisfaction.' This contrasts with surveys such as the European Values Survey, where around 90% of nearly 60,000 respondents agreed that 'watching children grow up is life's greatest joy.'
The scientists suggest the gap may stem from the type of happiness children bring—intense but brief positive moments, like pride during milestones, rather than a consistent daily boost. The study also found parents reported slightly lower relationship satisfaction, pointing to added pressures such as sleep deprivation, financial strain and daily routine challenges.
Despite the findings, the researchers reassured that 'parenting has many rewards, but a permanent increase in baseline hedonic wellbeing is unlikely to be one of them.'
