smile reveals women are a ‘nicer' gender

Men need 27% more money than women to be happy, believing that to be truly happy they would need a total of £1,249,619 highlighting their bread-winning personality, whereas women would settle for £983,799, according to research by smile, the internet bank.

The study also found that women are 5% happier than men, 64% of women confirmed they where truly happy while only 59% of men did. Both men and women agreed that the birth of their first child was the happiest event in their life, followed by meeting their partner and their wedding day.

The findings also show that men are happiest between 6pm and 7pm while women are happiest an hour later between 8pm and 9pm. As mornings are often stressful, it is perhaps not surprising that, both men and women are their unhappiest between 7am and 8am.

The research highlights that for both genders the best things in life are free; these being related to family and personal relationships, followed by personal achievements that sometimes lead to prized possessions such as a first car or house.

John Barker, Head of smile comments, "The research shows that there are many things in life which make us happy, we understand that the best things in life are free, but we also understand the value of financial security, that's why our ethical approach to banking and excellent customer service are now more important than ever".

He continues, "We have seen a 123% annual increase in customers switching their current accounts to both smile and The Co-operative Bank as they look for a secure organisation they can trust. Customers are now no longer prepared to stay loyal to their existing bank, if they are frustrated with the service or have concerns about the security or values of the institution".