Happiness, not money, is now viewed as the greatest measure of success by Australians.
A new survey has concluded Australians regard wellbeing and happiness as the yardsticks for success, not financial security.
![Money does not buy happiness, a new survey claims.](/web/20161025155634im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/s/8/9/w/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs8h0z.png/1477157653320.jpg)
The survey questioned more than 2000 people aged between 16 and 70.
Almost 60 per cent of those surveyed ranked "being happy" in their top seven markers of success, followed by "good family relationships," "feeling healthy" and "being a good person".
Laura Demasi, research director at Ipsos, which conducted the survey for National Australia Bank, said Australia's long run of prosperity meant people could look past traditional material aspirations and focus on emotional goals.
"I would argue that we're in an the era of post-material values and this data, this research really supports that," Ms Demasi told AAP.
"We're asking them to define success and its really interesting because it seems like happiness and success have become interchangeable, they're kind of viewed as the same thing."
While those values transcended generations, Ms Demasi said they were amplified in those surveyed in Generation Z, aged 16 to 21.
"All the stuff we see with everyone else just peaks with them, they have the steroid version," she said.
"They might be the generation where it changes but they're still very young."
The research also highlighted a disconnect between how people personally define success and how they think society defines it.
While subjects personally rated happiness above money, they still believed society views a good paying job and being rich as the definition of success.
AAP