Creating sustainable communities and a fairer world

Percentage of people reporting overall life satisfaction ratings, on a scale from 0 to 10, 2007 to 2009

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The satisfaction rating becomes more informative when looked at by socio-demographic variables, for example by National Statistics Socio-Economic Class based on occupation.

In 2009, for the combined social grades ‘A’ and ‘B’ (hitherto referred to as group AB, e.g. A: doctors, solicitors, accountants and B: teachers, nurses, police officers), making up 22 per cent of the population, (making up 43 per cent of the population)the average rating was 7.6. For those in group D (manual works, shop workers, apprentices) and group E (casual labourers, state pensioners and the unemployed) (making up 31 per cent of the population) making up 40 per cent of the population, ) the overall average rating was 7.0.
The proportions of those in group E rating themselves as 0 (which could be interpreted as extremely dissatisfied), whilst a low proportion (about 1 per cent), was about four times higher than for other groups, and the proportion rating themselves as 7 or higher (broadly interpreted as satisfied) were lower than for other groups – 63 per cent respectively compared with 79 per cent of those in group AB.
In 2009, when asked what are the most important things affecting their lives (not shown), without prompting the most common responses people gave were ‘Being able to spend time with friends and family’, mentioned by 44 per cent of people, ‘Health’, 31 per cent, ‘Personal relationships’, 23 per cent, ‘Work life’, ‘tudy’ and / or ‘Day to day activities’, 20 per cent and ‘Standard of living’ or ‘Money’, 13 per cent (all not shown).

Updated: 30 July 2009

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