ONS reveals the happiest and unhappiest places in the UK

Huge survey shows where in the UK people are the happiest and unhappiest.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has measured the wellbeing of more than 300,000 people across the UK and produced a list of the happiest and unhappiest places in the nation.

The survey was conducted over three years between 2012 and 2015 and asked participants to rate their happiness, life satisfaction, wellbeing and anxiety on a scale of one to 10.

On average people in the UK rated their happiness at 7.38.

Those aged 90 and over reported higher life satisfaction and happiness compared with people in their middle years. Ratings of life satisfaction and happiness were at their lowest, on average, for those aged 45 to 59.

We’ve pulled out the results for how people rate their happiness across the UK, looking at what proportion gave a score of between nine and 10, to find the happiest places.

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The happiest people in the UK

Here’s a rundown of where to find the happiest people in the UK according to the ONS results.

1. Highlands

The Highland district in Scotland, which covers places like Nairn, Inverness and Fort William, has the happiest residents according to the ONS survey, with 43.03% of people living here rating themselves at nine or 10 on the happiness scale.

2. Armagh, Bandbridge and Craigavon

The second happiest residents in the UK live in the district of Armagh, Bandbridge and Craigavon in Northern Ireland. In the ONS survey 42.37% rated their happiness as nine or 10 out of 10.

3. Mid and East Antrim

The third happiest people in the UK are in the district of Mid and East Antrim in Northern Ireland with 42.35% of residents giving top marks for happiness.

4. Mid Sussex

The district of Mid Sussex in England, which includes towns such as Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath, has the fourth happiest people in the UK according to the ONS. Over a third (39.3%) of residents living here rated their happiness towards the top of the scale at nine or ten.

5. Isle of Anglesey

The district of the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales has the fifth happiest residents according to the ONS survey with 39.09% of people living here rating their happiness at nine or ten.

6. West Lindsey

The West Lindsey district in Lincolnshire has the sixth happiest residents with 38.85% of those living the area rating their happiness between nine and ten.

7.New Forest

The New Forest in the south of England has the seventh happiest residents with 38.80% of people saying their happiness was at the top of the scale.

8. Hambleton

The North Yorkshire district of Hambleton, which covers areas like Northallerton and Thirsk, has the eighth happiest residents with 38.46% saying their happiness was between nine and ten on the scale.

9. Dumfries and Galloway

The district of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland has the ninth happiest residents. Here, 38.24% of people in the area rated their happiness at between nine and 10.

10. Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth in East Anglia has the 10th happiest residents. The ONS survey found 38.11% of people living here gave a happiness score of between nine and 10.

The unhappiest people in the UK

And here’s a rundown of where you can find the unhappiest people in the UK according to the ONS survey.

1. Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton in the West Midlands has the unhappiest residents in the UK. The ONS survey found the lowest proportion of residents rating their happiness at the top end of the scale at just 21.74%.

Picture: Statsfan/Wikimedia

2. Harrow

The London borough of Harrow, which covers places like Stanmore, Harrow and Hatch End, has the second unhappiest people in the UK. Just 24.14% rated their happiness as between nine and 10 on the scale in the ONS survey.

3. Westminster

People living in the London borough of Westminster, covering areas like Mayfair, Paddington, Maida Vale and Covent Garden, are the third unhappiest people in the UK. The survey found only 25.11% of residents would score their happiness at the top end of the scale.

4. Camden

The North London borough of Camden, incorporating areas like Baker Street, Holborn, Regents Park and Kilburn, has the fourth unhappiest people in the UK. Only 25.31% of residents rated their happiness between nine and 10.

5. Islington

Islington, London’s smallest borough covering an area of six square miles incorporating places like Kings Cross, Holloway, Clerkenwell and Hoxton, has the fifth unhappiest residents. Just 25.42% of people with homes here reported their happiness was at the top end of the scale.

6. Brent

The sixth unhappiest people are in the London borough of Brent. Only 25.51% of people in the area which covers places like Wembley, Neasden, Park Royal and Willesden gave a score of between nine and 10.

7. Hackney

The London borough of Hackney, which includes trendy areas like Stoke Newington, Shoreditch and Dalston, has the seventh unhappiest residents. The ONS survey found only 25.69% of people living in the area gave a score of between nine and 10 when asked to rate their happiness.

8. Cambridge

Interestingly Cambridge  has the eighth unhappiest people in the UK. Only 25.92% of people in the area gave their happiness a rating of between nine and 10.

9. Havering

The ninth unhappiest residents were in the London borough of Havering, which includes areas like Romford, Upminster and Rainham. Only 26.44% of residents living in these areas would describe their happiness level as between nine and 10.

10. Lambeth

The London borough of Lambeth, which covers areas like Brixton, Dulwich, Battersea and Waterloo, is the tenth unhappiest place to live in the UK. The ONS survey revealed only 26.67% of people living in these areas rated their happiness at the top end of the scale between nine and 10.

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