A survey shows that 70 percent of Chinese feel happy in 2011, chinanews.com reported Friday.

The survey of Chinese family happiness in 2011 sampled more than 10,000 people across China online and interviewed people in rural areas such as Jiangsu, Sichuan and Beijing.

Physical and mental health, relationship with parents, neighbors, and family economic conditions were listed as the main factors for happiness. Well-educated married women in their late 20s were deemed the happiest group.

Zhang Hanxiang, a population expert in Beijing, said one major change in society is that more respondents judge their happiness based on relationships and not money.

The survey also showed that rural families are happier than their urban peers. They listed happy marriage, health, children and owning a home as the most important factors.