UK witness second-worst state of well-being in 11 years

The UK well-being index hit its second lowest level despite having the biggest annual gain since 2011, official figures show.

From 2021 to 2022, 26.01 per cent of adults rated their life satisfaction as very high.

The figure rose by 2.26 per cent compared to 2020-2021 period – the largest increase in Britain since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) started measuring well-being in 2011.

The country also saw its happiness index in 2022 go up by 2.78 per cent in the year to June, reaching 32.31 per cent.

England’s average life satisfaction ratings increased the most compared to other countries in the UK, the ONS said.

However, one wellbeing charity said these stats aren’t “as good as they look.”

Rani Saund, CEO of Sahil Well-being charity, said: “Don’t forget that two years ago we suffered a pandemic.

“The statistics are definitely better, but that’s mostly because the previous figures (2020-2021) were some of the lowest in history.”

The 2020-2021 period set a record low level of well-being when only 23.75 per cent of adults felt very satisfied with their lives, making this year’s numbers the second lowest.

2022 stats also represent a significant deterioration since 2019 when the Life satisfaction rate peaked at 30.74 per cent.

Rani added: “It seems like we are still struggling to get over the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It (the pandemic) has caused so much fear, isolation, job losses and financial issues for them, then came the recent economic turmoil.

“These together, have led people to go through one of the most difficult times in their lives.”

John Brown, 20, from London, said that the rising costs of living is one of the main causes of the dissatisfaction.

He said: “Due to inflation, the minimum wage is way less than enough to live on.

“The stress of finding a well-paying job is becoming too much for young people like me.”

“If you don’t take things for granted, you will appreciate everything more”

Peter Đặng, UK resident

But for Peter Đặng, 36, who has lived in Nottingham for 21 years, life in the UK has mostly been “a pleasure.”

The Vietnamese said: “I have never regretted coming to the UK at the age of 15.

“Here, my family have free healthcare, my children study in good schools, and the air is fresh.

“I think that if you don’t take things for granted, you will appreciate everything more.

“At the end of the day, England is still one of the most developed countries in the world, so life here can’t be that bad.”

The ONS personal well-being statistics are based on surveys taken from adults aged 16 and over in the UK.

On October 3, the ONS released their latest review of the ONS Measures of National Well-being, allowing citizens to share feedbacks and contribute through an online survey.

The survey is open until November 25, 2022.