1. 5 updates

Isles residents 'happiest in UK'

Northern Ireland has been named the happiest country in the UK to live, with people living in the remote Scottish isles the happiest area in the nation, according to data by the Office for National Statistics.

Live updates

Council leader: 'Plenty to be happy about' in Stoke

The leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council says there is 'plenty to be happy about' in the city, despite residents reporting the lowest levels of life satisfaction and self-worth out of the whole of Britain.

Stoke-on-Trent is widely known as having some of the friendliest people in the country, is one of the best places to start a business and with multi-million pound developments to the city centre, miles of green open space and innovative changes to the city’s schools there is certainly plenty to be happy about.

However, the current economic climate and pressures of welfare reform are unfortunately piling on the strain for many families, impacting levels of unhappiness across the country - not just here in Stoke-on-Trent.

– Mohammed Pervez, Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader
  1. Wales

Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire are Wales' happiest areas

Anglesey rates highest in the life satisfaction and worthwhile categories Credit: Press Association

People living on Anglesey and in Gwynedd are the happiest in Wales, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

The area rated highest for average life satisfaction, feelings of self-worth and happiness.

Carmarthenshire has the highest proportion of people who rate their anxiety level as 1 or less out of 10, while Pembrokeshire sees the lowest average for anxiety.

Read: full list of figures from the ONS

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Stoke-on-Trent residents 'least satisfied with their lives'

Residents of Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction and self-worth in the study on personal well-being by the Office for National Statistics.

Many in the region also declared themselves unhappy, reporting the third lowest levels of happiness in the UK behind Bedford and Merseyside.

Meanwhile Reading, Milton Keynes and inner London all ranked in the top six worst places for high levels of anxiety.

The study revealed people from Brighton and Hove, as well as Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, also reported high anxiety levels.

Read: Full list of figures from the Office for National Statistics

Residents of Scottish Isles 'happiest in Britain'

Residents of Orkney are said to be among the happiest and most satisfied with their lives across the whole of the UK Credit: David Cheskin/PA Wire

Northern Ireland might be the happiest country in the UK overall, but people living in the remote Scottish isles have voted themselves the happiest in the nation.

Residents of Orkney, Shetland and Eilean Siar reported the highest levels of happiness, self-worth and life satisfaction across the whole of Britain, according to figures by the Office for National Statistics.

Levels of anxiety were also found to be very low in those areas, topped only by Dumfries and Galloway.

Northern Ireland 'happiest country in the UK'

People enjoy the weather at Portrush Beach in County Antrim as Northern Ireland is revealed to be the happiest country in the UK Credit: Paul Faith/PA Wire

Northern Ireland is the happiest country in the UK overall, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The study revealed more people in Northern Ireland rated their life satisfaction and happiness as high than in England, Scotland or Wales.

Wales had proportionately more people than any other country in the UK rating their life satisfaction as low.

The 2012/2013 statistics are the first from ONS to explore how personal well-being varies across the countries, regions and more local areas of the UK.

Participants were asked how satisfied they were with their life, to what extent they felt the things they did in their life were worthwhile, and how happy or anxious they felt.

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