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ONS happiness index shows 'small improvement' in 2013 Happiness index shows 'small improvement' in 2013, ONS says
(35 minutes later)
A UK-wide well-being survey has shown "small improvements" in peoples' happiness over the last year. A UK-wide well-being survey has found "small improvements" in people's happiness over the year.
The proportion of people rating their life satisfaction as 7 or more out of 10 rose from 75.9% to 77.0%. The proportion of people rating their life satisfaction as seven or more out of 10 rose from 75.9% to 77.0%, the Office for National Statistics said.
The Office for National Statistics data also suggests a small reduction in anxiety levels between 2011-12 and 2012-13. It said the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee may have "influenced people's assessment of their... well-being".
The survey is taken to help the government develop policies to improve people's well-being.The survey is taken to help the government develop policies to improve people's well-being.
The first well-being survey was released by the ONS in 2012. Most content
Prime Minister David Cameron described it as crucial to finding out what the government can do to "really improve lives" - but Labour ridiculed the survey as a "statement of the bleeding obvious". It also showed a small reduction in anxiety levels, with the proportion of people rating their anxiety at a higher level of six or more out of 10 falling from 21.8% to 20.9%.
Women rated their anxiety levels higher than men. The average anxiety rating for women is 3.1 compared with 2.9 for men.
Yet on balance, women were found to have higher life satisfaction, consider their activities to be more worthwhile and rate their happiness slightly higher than men.
People aged 45 to 54 were the most dissatisfied, while younger people rated their happiness above average and retired people were the most content age group.
Married couples or those in civil partnerships rated their life satisfaction highest, with the average score at 7.8 out of 10. The ONS pointed out that this was higher than for cohabiting couples who reported an average of 7.6 out of 10.
Single people rated their life satisfaction lower than those in couples, or widowed, at an average of 7.2 out of 10.
However divorcees or separated people rated their life satisfaction lowest, at an average of 6.8 out of 10.
The first well-being survey was released by the ONS in 2012. Prime Minister David Cameron described it as crucial to finding out what the government can do to "really improve lives" - but Labour ridiculed the survey as a "statement of the bleeding obvious".