- Levels of personal well-being have fallen in 2022/2023 to levels not seen since 2020
- The Shetland Islands and Na h-Eileanan Siar claimed the top spots as the happiest areas
An interactive map has revealed Britain’s happiest – and unhappiest – districts.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) asks tens of thousands of Brits every year to rate their happiness, life satisfaction, anxiety and self-esteem out of 10.
Average happiness scores fell to 7.39 in 2022/2023 – the lowest figure since 2020/21, when the Covid pandemic began.
Adur in West Sussex claimed the bottom spot, with residents scoring an average of 6.16.
Statisticians did not indicate what specifically might be behind the decline. Although the data covers the period when Britain entered a cost of living crisis.
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The Shetland Islands in Scotland (pictured) recorded the happiest rating, with 8.22 out of 10, with Na h-Eileanan Siar – the Outer Hebrides – in second place with 8.12.
Studies have also suggested that Covid and the knock-on effects of restrictions caused mental and physical health to plummet.
Using the ONS interactive tool, you can look up scores for life satisfaction, self-esteem, happiness and anxiety – the four pillars that the ONS says shape personal well-being – in your area.
The ONS has been asking Britons since 2011 to report these scores out of 10 for these four areas has measured whether it has improved or deteriorated every year since.
The four personal well-being questions include: ‘How satisfied are you with your life these days?’.
Volunteers are also asked: ‘To what extent do you find the things you do in your life worthwhile?’, ‘how happy did you feel yesterday?’ and ‘how anxious did you feel yesterday?’.
The Shetland Islands recorded the happiest rating, with 8.22 out of 10 and After h-Eileanan Siar – the Outer Hebrides – came second at 8.12.
They were followed by North Kesteven in Lincolnshire (8.09), Pendle, Lancashire (8.06) and the Malvern Hills (8.06), which lie across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and north Gloucestershire.
At the other end of the scale came Adur and then Hastings in East Sussex with 6.56.
Eastbourne, Lincoln and the London suburb of Waltham Forest also recorded scores of just 6.57, 6.57 and 6.82 respectively.
On average, Britain scored 7.39 out of 10 for happiness, down from 7.45 in 2021/2022. Excluding the first year of the pandemic, the figure is the lowest since 2013/2014.
Overall, 8.9 percent of people reported low levels of happiness – an increase from 8.5 percent the previous year.
Life satisfaction and sense of achievement also fell to 7.45 and 7.73 respectively, compared to 7.54 and 7.77 in the year ending March 2022.
Meanwhile, anxiety levels rose from 3.12 to 3.23. Excluding the year Covid hit, this is the highest figure ever.
But statistically significant changes were only observed in the measurements for England.
The lack of statistical significance in changes in the devolved nations may be due to less data being collected, the ONS noted, concluding there was less certainty in its estimates.
Data shows that those who report low levels of wellbeing are more likely to be in ‘very poor’ health, have a disability, be divorced or have no qualifications.