Yahoo News The UK has got happier since the Brexit vote: Where does your area rank?
The UK has become a happier place over the past year, according to personal well-being figures from the Office for National Statistics.
On average people rated their happiness at 7.51 out of 10 in 2016/17, up from 7.48 in 2015/16. Though small, this is a statistically significant increase according to the ONS. Scores for life satisfaction also rose to a significant degree.
There was also a non-significant increase in anxiety and in people feeling that the things we do in life are worthwhile compared to last year.
While the country is currently subject to a great deal of uncertainty on a macro level, this doesn't appear to have trickled down to a personal level according to the ONS.
Matthew Steel from the Office for National Statistics said: "Today’s figures may surprise some, showing a small increase in both reported happiness and life satisfaction during a period that has seen political change and uncertainty.
"It's worth noting that employment rates rose during the period covered by this report, and other ONS analysis showed people perceiving an improvement in their own financial situations and in the overall economy. These are factors we believe may account for some people's increased sense of personal well-being."
In fact, average ratings of life satisfaction and happiness were at their highest levels in the year ending March 2017 since the ONS began measuring personal well-being in 2011.
The ONS does note, however, that the period in question covers three months prior as well as nine months following the EU referendum and doesn't cover the recent snap general election.
The happiest and saddest places in the UK
The happiest place in the UK in 2016-17 was Craven in the North West of England where the average happiness score among respondents was 8.3. It makes it the first time since 2011 that an English area has claimed top spot in this regard.
The Orkney Islands are in second place for happiness this year while Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal were fourth and fifth respectively.
At the other end of the scale Hertsmere in Hertfordshire recorded the lowest happiness score in the UK at an average of just 6.87. This was down by 12 per cent compared to 2015/16.
