United Kingdom

Did You Know?

Population
61.4
mil.
Visitors per year
30.2
mil.
Renewable energy
3.33
%

How’s Life?

The United Kingdom performs very well in overall well-being, as shown by the fact that it ranks among the top countries in several topics in the Better Life Index.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the United Kingdom, the average household earned 27 208 USD in 2008, more than the OECD average.

In terms of employment, nearly 70% of people aged 15 to 64 in the United Kingdom have a paid job. People in the United Kingdom work 1646 hours a year, less than in other OECD countries. 67% of mothers are employed after their children begin school, suggesting that women are able to successfully balance family and career.

Having a good education is an important requisite to finding a job. In the United Kingdom, 70% of adults aged 25 to 64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school diploma, close to the OECD average. As to the quality of its educational system, the average student scored 494 out of 600 in reading ability according to the latest PISA student-assessment programme, around the OECD average.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom is 79.7 years, slightly above the OECD average. The level of atmospheric PM10 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 13 micrograms per cubic meter, and is lower than levels found in most OECD countries.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and low levels of civic participation in the United Kingdom. 95% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, higher than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of public trust in government and of citizens' participation in the political process, was 61% during recent elections; this figure is lower than the OECD average of 72%. In regards to crime, only 2% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months.

When asked, 68% of people in the United Kingdom said they were satisfied with their life, above the OECD average of 59%.

These findings are based on data from 2008 or later.

Topics

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United Kingdom in Detail

Housing

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Key Findings

In many OECD countries, home ownership is an important dimension of individual well-being. It protects owners from fluctuations in rents and ensures families a stable and secure shelter. Additionally, the value of a property represents a major source of wealth for households. Nearly 74% of occupied dwellings in the United Kingdom are inhabited by the owners themselves, higher than the OECD-23 average of 67%.

In addition to measuring home ownership rates, it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities.

The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and the development of children. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the United Kingdom, the average home contains 1.8 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.6 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 0.5% of dwellings in the United Kingdom lack private access to indoor flushing toilets, much less than the OECD average of 2.8% dwellings.

Indicators

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Income

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Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, healthcare and housing.

Household net-adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after tax. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In United Kingdom, the average household net-adjusted disposable income is 27 208 USD a year, higher than the OECD average of 22 284 USD.

Household financial wealth is the total value of a household’s financial worth. In United Kingdom, the average household wealth is estimated at 60 382 USD, higher than the OECD average of 36 808 USD. While the ideal measure of household wealth should include real assets (e.g. land and dwellings), such information is currently available for only a small number of OECD countries.

Indicators

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Jobs

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Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one’s own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the United Kingdom, nearly 70% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 65%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the United Kingdom, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.59%, slightly lower than the OECD average.

Indicators

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Community

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Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In the United Kingdom, nearly 95% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, higher than the OECD average. Nearly 59% reported having helped a stranger in the last month, also higher than the OECD average.

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations. 5% of people in the United Kingdom reported ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ spending time with friends, colleagues or others in social settings; this figure is lower than in most OECD countries.

Indicators

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Education

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Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country’s social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Most concretely, having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Across OECD countries, men with university-level degrees are 16% more likely to find jobs, and women are 30% more likely. Lifetime earnings also increase with each level of education.

Following a decline in manual labour over previous decades, employers now favour a more educated labour force. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market.

In the United Kingdom, 70% of adults aged 25-64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, close to the OECD average of 73%. However, among younger people – a better indicator of the United Kingdom’s future – 77% of 25-34 year-olds have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, also close to the OECD average of 80%.

But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2009, PISA focused on examining students’ reading ability, as research shows that reading skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

The average student in the United Kingdom scored 494 out of 600 in reading literacy, close to the OECD average of 493. However, certain students performed well in science, with more than 11% reaching the two highest levels of proficiency.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Reversing teacher shortages in the United Kingdom

When it took office, the Blair administration faced one of the worst shortages of teachers in history. Five years later, there were eight applicants for every job opening. To some extent this had to do with raising compensation significantly, as well as with important changes in teachers’ work environment; but a sophisticated and powerful recruiting program played a very important part in the turnaround.

The recruitment campaign was launched with strong political and financial backing by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) in 2000. An extra GBP 150 million was allocated to employ leading international advertising and recruitment agencies to undertake extensive market research on the motivations and barriers to becoming a teacher and to develop award-winning marketing strategies. In addition, a new GBP 6000 education bursary was offered to all trainees as a one-off, tax-free payment to support them through their education. A “golden hello” of up to GBP 4000 was also introduced, with the full amount paid in shortage subjects such as math and physics.

By focusing on the idea of teaching “making a difference”, the new campaign aimed to improve the status of teaching as a profession. It also emphasized the flexibility and diversity of the skills teachers acquire, the variety of routes into teaching, and the possibility of doing it as a “first career” before moving on to other things. The advertising approach was direct, encouraging people to call a national information line, which also allowed the TDA to collect data on people who were considering teaching and to target those with skills in shortage subjects, such as math and physics.

Within three months of the launch of the advertising campaign, the number of people calling the national teaching recruitment helpline tripled. By 2003/2004 the vacancy-to-employment rate halved to less than 1% for all subjects, with major gains in shortage subjects, such as mathematics, where the number of new recruits had almost doubled by 2005.

Indicators

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Environment

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Key Findings

Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of peoples’ lives. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM10 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In the United Kingdom, PM10 levels are 12.7 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 22 micrograms per cubic meter.

Indicators

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Governance

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Key Findings

A cohesive society is one where citizens have a high degree of confidence in their governmental institutions and public administration. 65% of people in the United Kingdom say they trust their political institutions, higher than the OECD average of 56%. High voter turnout is another measure of public trust in government and of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data is available, voter turnout in the United Kingdom was 61% of those registered. This figure is lower than the OECD average of 72%.

Ensuring that government decision making is not compromised by conflicts of interest is key to maintaining trust in government. Transparency is therefore essential to hold government to account, maintain confidence in public institutions and support a level playing field for business.

Freedom of information laws (FOI) allows the possibility for individuals to access undisclosed information. For such policies to be successful, the public should have a clear understanding of their rights under the law, should be able to file requests with ease and should be protected against any possible retaliation. People in the United Kingdom can file a request for information either in writing or online, but not yet by telephone or in person. In addition, there are no provisions for anonymity or protection from retaliation.

Indicators

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Health

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Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. In 2007, life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom was 79.7 years, just above the OECD average of 79 years. However, several major European countries – Italy, Spain, France and Germany – registered a higher life expectancy than the United Kingdom.

Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher healthcare spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors). Total health spending accounted for 8.7% of GDP in the United Kingdom in 2008, compared with an average of 9.0% across OECD countries. The United States is, by far, the country that spends the most on health as a share of its economy, with 16.0% of its GDP allocated to health in 2008. France and Switzerland followed with 11.2% and 10.7% respectively. In terms of per person spending on health, the United Kingdom is close to the OECD average, with spending of 3129 USD in 2008.

Throughout the OECD, tobacco consumption and excessive weight gain remain two important risk factors for many chronic diseases.

The United Kingdom has achieved some progress in reducing tobacco consumption, with current rates of daily smokers among adults standing at 22.0% in 2008, below the OECD average of 23.3%.

Obesity rates in the United Kingdom are the highest in Europe. In England, rates have increased faster than in most OECD countries. Two out of three men are overweight and one in four people are obese in the United Kingdom. The proportion of people overweight in England is projected by the OECD to rise a further 10% during the next 10 years. Obesity’s growing prevalence foreshadows increases in the occurrence of health problems (such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and asthma), and higher health care costs in the future.

When asked, "How is your health in general?", 76% of people in the United Kingdom reported to be in good health, higher than the OECD average of 69%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, the answers have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use.

 

Indicators

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Life Satisfaction

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Key Findings

Happiness can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to compare the quality of life across countries.

For the United Kingdom, like throughout much of the OECD, self-reported life satisfaction has been rising over the last decade. In recent polling, 68% were satisfied with their life and 79% believe that their life will be satisfying five years later.

76% of people in the United Kingdom reported having more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is higher than the OECD average of 72%.

Indicators

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Safety

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Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals, and largely reflects the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime. Across the OECD, victimisation rates for conventional crime (theft, robbery, assault) have declined in the new millennium. In the United Kingdom, 2% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months, lower than the OECD average of 4%. 31% of people feel unsafe on the street after dark, higher than the OECD average of 26%.

The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, the United Kingdom’s homicide rate is 2.6, slightly higher than the OECD average.

Indicators

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Work-Life Balance

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Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. Some couples would like to have (more) children, but do not see how they could afford to stop working. Other parents are happy with the number of children in their family, but would like to work more. This is a challenge to governments because if parents cannot achieve their desired work/life balance, not only is their welfare lowered but so is development in the country.

In the United Kingdom, 67% of mothers are employed after their children begin school; this figure is close to the OECD average of 66% and suggests that mothers are able to successfully balance family and career.

Another important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardize safety and increase stress. People in the United Kingdom work 1646 hours a year, lower than the OECD average of 1739 hours.

The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others or leisure. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people’s overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. People in the United Kingdom devote 65% of their day, or 15.6 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socializing with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – close to the OECD average.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Early investment is needed to meet UK poverty targets

Between 2003 and 2007 the UK strengthened its position as one of the biggest investors in families in the OECD. Early childhood spending rose substantially, driven by new cash supports for children around birth and increased investment on childcare services. In 2007 the UK spent more on children than most OECD countries, at just over 138 000 pounds sterling per child from birth up to the age of 18, compared to an OECD average of just under 95 000 pounds. Before the financial crisis, and during a period of increased investment (1995 to 2005), child poverty in the UK fell more than in any other OECD country (in 2005 it was 10.5%, down from 17.4% in 1995, compared to an OECD average of 12.7%); in the same period the growth in average family income was third highest in the OECD.

Today, spending cuts, such as cutting benefits for pregnancy and childbirth, and a freeze on child cash benefits, will affect many families. Progress in child poverty reduction in the UK has stalled, and is now predicted to increase; social protection spending on families therefore needs to be protected. Providing services such as affordable and good quality local day-care centres, with flexible opening hours, is key to helping families with children on low-incomes into work.

To this end, the plan outlined in the UK Child Poverty Strategy to extend the 15 hours of free early education services to disadvantaged children as young as two years old is a positive step for well-being of these children and the job prospects of their parents. Nonetheless childcare costs can remain a barrier to work for parents higher up the income scale, and there is room in UK policy for an effective childcare supplement for working parents.

Indicators

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