Report

Mind, body and connection

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics looks at low wellbeing in the UK in 2024.

How is the UK doing? It is a question that is hard to answer. On the one hand, the UK remains one of the richest countries in the world and has enjoyed a prolonged period of peace and prosperity. On the other hand, household incomes have stagnated over the last 15 years and many already-creaking public services are groaning under the weight of an ageing and sickening population.

And yet, commentators and politicians regularly purport to set out the definitive condition of Britain – especially so during an election year such as 2024. Different measures are proffered as indicators of success – or lack of it – with GDP growth, NHS waiting times, crime statistics, and school exam results being among the most cited. Illuminating though such measures tend to be, the ultimate answer to the question will almost certainly depend on who is responding.

In fact, the simplest way to understand how the country is doing is to ask its people how they are doing. And happily, that is something that has been happening for more than a decade. Since 2011, the Office for National Statistics has systematically been asking the nation’s citizens to report on how they are feeling and functioning, incorporating simple standardised questions into a wide range of its key national surveys. As a result, there is now a rich suite of data that allows the mood of the nation to be tracked over time.