Brits Richer, Healthier, Living Longer, But Not Happier

MOST BRITISH people appear to have achieved everything but more happiness over the last 30 years, according to an official survey.

Since 1973 Brits have enjoyed economic growth paralleled with better health, according to the survey, conducted for the Office for National Statistics, but happiness did not accompany the improvements.

The annual survey on social trends showed that household income has gone up by 60 percent, and household wealth has more than doubled, in the past twenty years. And it pointed to the increase in house prices that contributed to the increase in wealth.

In 1973, 86 percent of people said they were satisfied with their standard of living, while in 2006 85 percent were satisfied.
The figures follow trends from around the world that show that happiness and satisfaction do not correlate with average income once countries reach “middle-income” levels.

PROBLEMS

And one in six UK adults reported that they suffered from a variety of mental health problems in the latest survey, of which the largest category was “mild anxiety and depression.”

The UK has become more ethnically diverse in the past few years as its population has grown from 56 million in 1986 to 60 million in 2006.

But 90 percent of the population is still white, compared to 93 percent in 2001.

The largest ethnic group is Asians, with five percent of the population, while blacks make up three percent of the population.

The ethnic population, however, is concentrated in the big cities, especially London, where one-third of the population is non-white.

YOUNGER

And it is also younger than the white population, which affects the school age population.

Almost one in five schoolchildren in the UK were from non-white ethnic groups, while over half (53 percent) in London were non-white.

People from certain ethnic groups, particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi, were more likely to be in poverty and report ill-health than the average.

Healthier – but more obese

People are living longer, with life expectancy rising to 77 years for men and 82 years for women.

The biggest improvement in the last 30 years has been in the increased life expectancy among older adults, with men aged 65 living, on average, an extra five years in 2006 compared to 1971.