Abstract:
Using long running panel data spanning at least 15 years from Australia, Germany and the UK, this study investigates longitudinal age-wellbeing trajectories by the Big Five personality traits. We estimate within person (fixed effects) models separately for each country and for low/high trait subgroups, producing 30 distinct trajectories. Across all subgroups, we found the same ageing pattern: a decline in wellbeing into midlife, a clear midlife low and a subsequent recovery. However, the shape of this trajectory differs systematically across personality. Individuals high in conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability experience a steeper decline into midlife compared to those lower on these traits. In contrast, highly extraverted individuals show a more gradual early decline and a shallower midlife low, followed by a stronger recovery. These patterns are broadly consistent across the three countries. Openness, by comparison, is only weakly associated with well-being trajectories and exhibits inconsistent, country-specific patterns.