UK is the worst place to live in Europe

UK is the worst place to live in Europe Image

"What mattered most of all to people, was health – their own and their family's," Paul Allin, director of the ONS measuring well-being programme, told Channel 4 News.

"Good relationships and connection with family, friends and partners were also important."

Job satisfaction was also a factor, along with economic stability and environment – both immediate surroundings, and the proximity or access to green spaces.

When asked what should be reflected in measures of national well-being, respondents included these factors that mattered most to them, as well as education and training.

Made to measure

Mr Allin is happy to admit that the ONS measures are "totally subjective".

But said: "Lots of people told us that there is value in asking subjective questions. But we're also looking at more objective measures in the future."

It is early days in the national well-being survey and a consensus has not yet been reached on what really impacts our happiness. Mr Allin conceded: "We're all searching for ways to find the best way of describing the way we live today."

So how did uSwitch select their 16 measuring rods, which – unsurprisingly – are mainly based on costs, including gas and electricity?

The survey has been running for the past four years, and uSwitch's Jo Ganly told Channel 4 News: "We just thought about all the factors that combined to make quality of life. It's about giving a broad picture of quality of life in the country."

UK is the worst place to live in Europe