Having more money in your pocket doesn't necessarily make you happier.

A happiness index of Beijing residents believed to be China's first such poll has revealed that despite income contributing to happiness, people in the middle-income band are among the city's most content.

According to the index, released by the city's statistics bureau, 83 per cent of those who earn around 6,000 yuan (US$750) per month are happy with their lives.

Meanwhile only 70 per cent of those earning between 10,000 (US$1,250) and 15,000 (US$1,875) yuan per month are happy  the same as those who earn between 1,000 and 1,500 yuan per month.

According to bureau spokeswoman Yu Xiuqin, compared with the middle-income group, people who earn larger sums feel under pressure to keep up with their well-off friends, and tend to get anxious about their ambitions.

Aside from the middle-income bubble the overall trend of the index is that happiness grows with income, said Yu.

The average per capita income for residents in Beijing has frozen at 1,669 yuan (US$209) per month, yet the city's cost of living ranks as one of the highest in the country, according to the latest data.

The happiness index is the first of its kind after the National Bureau of Statistics was called on to introduce a rating of people's satisfaction levels, as part of the ongoing effort to evaluate social and economic development.

Starting from July, the bureau carried out phone interviews with people aged between 18 and 70 in Beijing's 18 districts and counties. They collected results from a total of 7,118 citizens.

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