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| Happiness index shows 'small improvement' in 2013, ONS says | Happiness index shows 'small improvement' in 2013, ONS says |
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| A UK-wide well-being survey has found "small improvements" in people's happiness over the 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 seven or more out of 10 rose from 75.9% to 77.0%, the Office for National Statistics said. | 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. |
| It said the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee may have "influenced people's assessment of their... well-being". | 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. |
| Most content | Most content |
| 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%. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Widowed and single people rated their life satisfaction lower than those in couples, at an average of 7.3 out of 10 and 7.2 out of 10 respectively. | |
| However divorcees or separated people rated their life satisfaction lowest, at an average of 6.8 out of 10. | However divorcees or separated people rated their life satisfaction lowest, at an average of 6.8 out of 10. |
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| The ONS said the reason for the small uptick in the nation's well-being between 2011/12 and 2012/13 was "not fully understood at this stage". | |
| Though measuring happiness was "complex", the ONS said the factors most associated with personal well-being were health, employment situation and relationship status. | |
| The survey found no significant changes in average ratings for life satisfaction for any of the self-reported health groups or among unemployed people - despite improvements in the labour market. | |
| However it said that over the past year, the UK had celebrated several special events, such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee which included a special bank holiday and the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. | |
| The ONS said: "These events could also have potentially influenced people's assessment of their personal well-being in the 2012/13 period." | |
| The first well-being survey was released by the ONS in 2012. Prime Minister David Cameron described it then 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". |