Life in the UK
Carnegie UK’s Life in the UK index measures collective wellbeing across the UK. It is based on what people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland tell us about their lives.
The index aims to help governments across the UK to focus their attention on the things that really matter to people, and to help us understand whether we are collectively living better or worse over time. The index also identifies where progress is being made and the areas of our lives that require policy intervention.
There is currently limited support for a wellbeing approach to government by both decision-makers and the public. The increasingly evident limitations of GDP, rising inequalities, and the threats to wellbeing posed by the climate crisis and rising costs of living underline the importance of doing more to advocate for our vision of collective wellbeing.
In 2020, Carnegie UK developed a new model for communicating and advocating for such an approach called Gross Domestic Wellbeing. After a successful pilot in England, in 2023 we established our Life in the UK programme which was designed to measure the collective wellbeing of the people of the UK, looking at social, economic, environmental, and democratic aspects of their lives. It also presents key findings in relation to how different demographics are doing across the UK.
Our Life in the UK index provides:
- A single score for collective wellbeing that shows if we are living better or worse over time
- A score for each of the four areas of collective wellbeing
- Collective wellbeing and domain scores for the UK as a whole, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and each of the English regions
- Collective wellbeing and domain scores for different demographic groups.
If the UK Government is serious about delivering the ‘plan for change’ outlined in its 2024 manifesto, we strongly recommend that it adopts and implements useful and timely measures that track progress across a range of outcomes, as the Life in the UK index demonstrates is possible.
Downloads
Life in the UK 2024 Northern Ireland
Life in the UK 2024 Wales
Life in the UK 2024 Scotland
Life in the UK 2024
Life in the UK 2024 Methodology
Life in the UK 2023
Life in the UK Northern Ireland
Life in the UK Wales
Life in the UK Wales (Welsh version)
Life in the UK Scotland
Life in the UK Focus on Age
Life in the UK Focus on Disability
Life in the UK Focus on Housing Tenure
Life in the UK Focus on Ethnicity
Life in the UK Focus on Area Deprivation
Life in the UK Focus on Household Income
Life in the UK 2024 Northern Ireland
Life in the UK 2024 Wales
Life in the UK 2024 Scotland
Life in the UK 2024
Life in the UK 2024 Methodology
Life in the UK 2023
Life in the UK Northern Ireland
Life in the UK Wales
Life in the UK Wales (Welsh version)
Life in the UK Scotland
Life in the UK Focus on Age
Life in the UK Focus on Disability
Life in the UK Focus on Housing Tenure
Life in the UK Focus on Ethnicity
Life in the UK Focus on Area Deprivation
Life in the UK Focus on Household Income
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