Women are feeling less satisfied with their lives, including their health and finances, than men, and Gen-X is the least satisfied of all the generations when it comes to their personal circumstances.
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The fourth annual Heartbeat of Australia study by ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and its Australian Regional Insights arm, in partnership with the University of Canberra, reveals how Australians are feeling in 2025.
And the gender and the generation gaps are stark.
The research, based on the survey responses of more than 7000 Australians living in regional and rural communities as well as the five major metropolitan cities, found that regional men are more satisfied with their life and personal circumstances than regional women, but men in metro areas were the most satisfied.
The survey shows:
- 37 per cent of regional males said they were very satisfied with their personal relationships, compared to 33 per cent of regional females;
- 25 per cent of regional males were very satisfied with what they were achieving in life, compared to 20 per cent of regional females;
- 30 per cent of regional males were very satisfied with their standard of living, compared to 29 per cent of metro males, 26 per cent of regional females and 18 per cent of metro females;
- 30 per cent of metro males were very satisfied with their financial situation compared to 22 per cent of regional males, 15 per cent of regional females and 12 per cent of metro females.
Psychologist Phillipa Brown, founder and chief executive of online psychology service MeHelp, said regional women often carried an "invisible load" as they juggled work, children and local community responsibilities.
"So, while men might present as more optimistic, women are often experiencing higher levels of stress," she said.
Women tended to seek connection in more diverse ways.
"So, when opportunities are not available, the absence can feel sharper," she said.
"For women, the isolation combined with ongoing pressures at home, particularly with children or a high-pressure/long-hours workload, can lead to higher stress, burnout and feelings of dissatisfaction."
The Heartbeat study shows Generation X Aussies - those aged 45 to 60 - living in the regions feel less satisfied with life than Baby Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z.
While 40 per cent of the generation known as "Builders" (born before 1945) are very satisfied with their life as a whole, only 19 per cent of Gen-X could say the same.
Boomers (born 1946-64) were more satisfied with their financial situation (25 per cent) than Gen X males (16 per cent) and females (11 per cent).
Millennials (1980-94), Gen-Z (1995-2007), Boomers and even Builders were all more satisfied with their health than Gen X.
Gen Z (1995-2007) males (31 per cent) and females (16 per cent) were more satisfied with what they were achieving in life than Gen X males (15 per cent) and females (14 per cent).
Australian Regional Insights director Laura Allen said the findings suggested Gen X was feeling torn between work and caring for parents and children.
"Gen X is a bit of a forgotten generation in some ways, but they're really doing it tough," Ms Allen said.
"They have the lowest happiness scores of any generation, with only 14 per cent of regional Gen X men and 12 per cent of women happy. A lot of this stems from high levels of concern and frustration, with the cost of living topping their list of personal concerns."
- ACM, publisher of this masthead, is a joint venture partner of online telehealth service MeHelp.
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Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is a journalist with Explore Travel and The Senior. She specialises in deep issues affecting Gen X and beyond, and the latest in travel news. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
