FANTASY ISLAND
IT boasts stunning scenery, porpoises swimming off its unspoilt coastline, and restaurants regarded as some of the best in Wales.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that Anglesey has been named one of the happiest places to live in the UK.
But Wales has a north-south divide when it comes to being happy and enjoying life, according to new figures.
More than two-fifths of people (41%) on Anglesey rated their happiness levels as nine or 10 out of 10, some of the highest rates in the UK.
And, on average, people in the area rated their happiness the day before the survey as 7.6 on a scale of zero to 10, making it the happiest place in Wales according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Figures show more than a third (34.9%) of people on the island rate their satisfaction with life as nine or 10 out of 10, one of the highest proportions in the UK in 2014/15.
Anglesey councillor Nicola Roberts said: “Life is good here and the people who live here are very content.
“Most people are in work and I think that makes a big difference to happiness.
“There are enough activities in the area and people can get plenty of fresh air. Everything is close by, the beaches and mountains which makes it rich land. Having plenty of activi- ties, especially in the open air, definitely encourages happiness.”
According to comedian Tudur Owen, who was born and raised on Anglesey, there is more sun on the island than across the bridge in mainland Wales.
“The weather always seems to be nicer on Anglesey,” he said. “The people have always been different because it’s an island and there may be something in the water making people very happy.
“I myself would agree and I would have scored 9.5 out of 10 because I think life in North Wales in general is very nice and I feel very happy living here.”
Overall, people in Wales rated their happiness as 7.4 out of 10, anxiety levels as 2.9 out of 10, satisfaction with life as 7.6, and on the question of how worthwhile life is gave an average score of 7.8.
Wales had the worst ratings for each of the measures of all the countries in the UK, and was significantly lower for people feeling satisfied with life and feeling life is worthwhile.
Wales was the only UK country that did not have any significant improvements between the financial year ending 2012 and the latest figures. The average ratings of personal wellbeing in Wales did not improve between 2014 and 2015. However, Wales reported the greatest improvements across the UK between 2013 and 2014 for all personal wellbeing measures except anxiety.