The economic value of a happy marriage

An article called "Happiness Inc." in the March 18-19, 2006 issue of the Wall Street Journal caught my eye - but I only just now read it. The most interesting portion of the article was research that David Blanchflower, a Dartmouth College economics professor, is doing to put a price on happiness. Blanchflower has "analyzed survey data covering tens of thousands of people in 35 nations, and cross-referenced the results with various economic data such as workers' wages and people's standard of living. He then sought to put a dollar figure on the value of a healthy, stable relationship. One study that he co-authored found that if you're single or in a miserable marriage, you'd need to earn $100,000 more each year to be as happy as a happily married person. His research also showed that if you have sex just once a month, you'd need to earn $50,000 more a year to be as happy as someone having sex once a week with a monogamous partner." Fascinating stuff. So, after eight and a half years of marriage, I'm already a millionaire!