Wellbeing map shows it’s a happier Halton
LATEST wellbeing maps of the UK have revealed slight fluctuations in happiness and anxiety levels in Halton over the past five years.
According to the data, published by the Office For National Statistics (ONS), life satisfaction in the borough rose from 7.43 out of 10 to 7.61 between 2012 and 2016.
A sense of life being worthwhile had risen overall from 7.77 to 7.83 but dropped slightly from 7.89 last year.
Halton’s average happiness rating also increased between 2012 and 2016, but fell from 7.36 to 7.35 in 2015-16.
Anxiety fell from a score of 3.15 in 2011-12 to 2.91 in 201516, following a peak of 3.27 in 2012-13.
Halton’s life satisfaction was below average for England, as was happiness, which lagged behind by 0.12 points. Anxiety was slightly higher than average.
Residents’ sense of life being worthwhile was the same as the national average.
The ONS said that nationally there were differences in trends but said 2015-16 marked the first year without wide improvements.
Abbie Self, ONS director of wellbeing, inequalities, sustainability and environment, said: “Life satisfaction has increased over the past year, which is what one might expect given the improvements seen in the economy and record high employment during that period.
“However, what is more surprising is that there is no change over the same time in people’s happiness, anxiety and feeling that what they do in life is worthwhile.
“This is the first time we haven’t seen year-on-year improvements in these particular measures since we began collecting the data in 2011.”