The 2013/14 average ratings for personal well-being were published by the Office for National Statistics towards the end of last year.
- Average life satisfaction increased by 0.06 points over the previous year, to 7.5 (out of 10).
- The feeling that what one does in life is worthwhile was up by 0.05 points, to 7.7.
- ‘How happy did you feel yesterday?’ scored 7.4, an increase of 0.09 points.
- ‘How anxious did you feel yesterday?’ was down to 2.9 points, a decrease of 0.1.
The changes are small but, as the OfNS says, ‘statistically significant’. Why for some people well-being has improved, while for others austerity has meant that things are very much worse, remains a mystery, to me at least.
