Wealthy wife, unhappy life: Men are sadder when their wives earn more than them, study finds
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From Taylor Swift to Nicole Kidman, many high-profile female celebrities earn more than their partners. Their partners - Travis Kelce and Keith Urban - seem fairly happy with their setups, but a new study has warned that the same isn't true across the board.
![[Women becoming the breadwinner can result in a higher risk of mental health issues for both members of the couple - but especially for husbands]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/09/10/93906075-14266171-Women_becoming_the_breadwinner_can_result_in_a_higher_risk_of_me-a-40_1736418020367.jpg)
If you truly want a happy life, scientists from the University of Durham say it's better for the male partner to be the higher earner. In their study, the team analysed the incomes and mental health of heterosexual couples in Sweden. They found that women becoming the breadwinner resulted in a higher risk of mental health issues for both members of the couple - but especially for husbands.
![[Around the world, the share of married couples where the wife is the primary earner is increasing. Pictured: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/09/10/93905943-14266171-image-a-41_1736418027760.jpg)
'The share of couples where the wife outearns the husband is increasing globally,' the researchers said. 'Crossing the threshold where the wife starts earning more significantly increases the probability of receiving a mental health diagnosis. 'In the most restrictive specification, the likelihood increases by approximately 8% for the whole sample and by 11% for men.'.
![[Insiders say Coleen Rooney could soon eclipse her husband's Wayne's estimated £80 million lifetime earnings]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/09/10/93905847-14266171-image-m-43_1736418051346.jpg)
If you truly want a happy life, scientists from the University of Durham say it's better for the male partner to be the higher earner. Pictured: Taylor Swift and Travic Kelce. Women becoming the breadwinner can result in a higher risk of mental health issues for both members of the couple - but especially for husbands.
Around the world, the share of married couples where the wife is the primary earner is increasing. In their study, published in The Economic Journal, the researchers, led by Demid Getik, said: 'In both the United States and Sweden, it has increased by approximately 25% since the start of the millennium.'.
