United Kingdom
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| indicator | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67.1 | mil. |
| Visitors per year | 31.1 | mil. |
| Renewable energy | 4.5 | % |
How’s Life?
The United Kingdom performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. The United Kingdom outperforms the average in income, jobs, education, social connections, safety and life satisfaction. It underperforms average in environmental quality and civic engagement. These assessments are based on available selected data.
Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the United Kingdom, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 33 049 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.
In terms of employment, about 75% of people aged 15 to 64 in the United Kingdom have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 79% of men are in paid work, compared with 72% of women. In the United Kingdom, 11% of employees work very long hours in paid work, slightly above the OECD average of 10%, with 15% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 6% of women.
Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In the United Kingdom, 82% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 81% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 83% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 503 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488. On average in the United Kingdom, girls outperformed boys by 2 points, well below the average OECD gap of 5 points.
In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom is around 81 years, the same as the OECD average. Life expectancy for women is 83 years, compared with 79 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 10.1 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In the United Kingdom, 82% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.
Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in the United Kingdom, where 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 68% during recent elections, slightly lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 66% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 45%.
When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, British people gave it a 6.8 grade on average, slightly higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
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OECD in Action
OECD Economic Surveys: United Kingdom
OECD’s periodic surveys of the British economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.
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United Kingdom in Detail
Housing – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.
Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the United Kingdom, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.
In addition to housing costs 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 children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the United Kingdom, the average home contains 2 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.5% of dwellings in the United Kingdom contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Income – United Kingdom expand
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, health care and housing.
Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In the United Kingdom, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 33 049 a year, higher than the OECD average of USD 30 490.
Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In the United Kingdom, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 524 422, much higher than the OECD average of USD 323 960.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Jobs – United Kingdom expand
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, 75% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.
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 0.9%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.
The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. People in the United Kingdom earn USD 47 147 per year on average, slightly less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.
Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In the United Kingdom, workers face an expected 3.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Helping at-risk students move from education to work
The Glasgow Youth Employment Partnership supports young people identified as at-risk in their penultimate year of compulsory education. The programme provides coaches who work with young people on a one to one basis. The young person will set goals and establish a programme of participation to move them towards a positive destination. Initially, this might involve small steps, but the aim is to move them into education, employment or training over a 24-week period. The young person receives an allowance of GBP 30 per week for participation and completion of the agreed steps.
The feedback and results of this initiative in Glasgow have been encouraging, with more participants and a higher rate of success than in other areas - 48% of the city's 601 participants have achieved positive outcomes as a result.
Partnerships for job creation
Training colleges in Nottingham work with local employers to match skills with demand. Central College Nottingham and Kia Motors UK have agreed to a long-term partnership to train future employees for the company's national dealership network. Over the duration of the partnership more than 700 apprentices will be trained, which is estimated to be worth over GBP 10 million to the local economy.
West Nottinghamshire has worked with employers in the corrugated paper industry (who are facing the challenge of an ageing workforce) to develop a flexible training programme. The programme incorporates the companies' in-house training programmes into apprenticeships leading to a Technical Certificate, which has been submitted for approval to the relevant awarding body. The pilot programme has resulted in one local company committing to this apprenticeship framework as part of their workforce development strategy with an intake of between 10-15 new apprenticeships per year.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Job Quality DatabaseIndicators
Community – United Kingdom expand
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, 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%.
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.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Creating an online community for parents
Parent Know How is an award-wining project that helps parents become more involved in bringing up their children. It provides advice and an opportunity to take part in social networks through a range of digital services such as: online messaging for relationship support; an online space to help fathers keep in touch with their kids; social networking and counselling through Second Life and a virtual parenting magazine; and an interactive parent resource network for younger parents. The technology behind Parent Know How was created with the input of young parents and all these services are available via mobile. Support is particularly targeted towards young fathers.
Over 1 million parents have been involved so far and the cost per user interaction has been reduced significantly when compared to traditional services. This space has also relieved some pressure on traditional services, ensuring that time is better allocated to those parents most in need of particular services.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Insights: Human CapitalIndicators
Education – United Kingdom expand
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. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. People in the United Kingdom can expect to go through 16.8 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, below the OECD average of 18 years.
Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. 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, 82% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%.
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 2018, PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these 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 503 in reading literacy, maths and sciences, above the OECD average of 488. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Local initiatives improve youth skills
Made in Sheffield is a local project that helps students gain the skills that employers need and want. Participating students can access work tasters, classes, project-based learning, apprenticeships and part time work while still in school. A Skills Passport helps students focus on the skills partner employers seek, such as higher level technical skills. In the 2013/14 school year, four new sectors were added to the programme along with 150 student ambassadors.
Many students participating in the project have improved and diversified their knowledge and skills. For example, girls represent 55% of the students enrolled in Computer Sciences, compared to an industry rate of less than 10%, and approximately 50% of the students enrolled in Engineering/Manufacturing. Boys are also diversifying their skills, with 50% in the Sheffield Teaching Hospital. Evaluations show students are very satisfied and are more likely to find employment or apprenticeships after completing the programme.
The London Mayor's Apprenticeship Campaign together with the National Apprenticeship Service, created more than 170 000 apprenticeships in London between 2010 and 2014. In 2015 the Mayor doubled funding, from GBR 1 500 to GBR 3 000, for the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers and announced the introduction of a fund for small and medium-sized businesses.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Environment – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. 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.
PM2.5 – 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, PM2.5 levels are 10.1 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter and broadly in line withthe annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.
Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In the United Kingdom, 82% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, lower than the OECD average of 84%.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Efficient and affordable water supply
The UK's Electricity Market Reform aims to expand capacity by increasing investment and competition, and to promote low-carbon energy sources in electricity generation. The reform could slow the increase in household electricity bills and result in yearly savings of about GBP 40 per household on average over 2014-2030.
The Energy Companies Obligation was introduced in 2013 to reduce consumption and support people living in fuel poverty by funding household efficiency improvements. Many water and/or sewage companies introduced social tariffs to reduce bills for customers who have difficulties to pay. This programme works alongside the national Watersure scheme, which caps bills for poor and vulnerable households. An investment of GBP 40 million per year is expected to reduce every customer bill by GBP 50 in South West Water area, which has the highest bills due to underinvestment.
Energy efficiency improvements substantially lowered household electricity and gas consumption, and the share of gas and renewable energy in total energy supply increased between 1990 and 2012 at the expense of coal and oil. However, climate change policies will contribute to raise retail electricity prices, which could offset efforts to tackle fuel and water poverty.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050Indicators
Governance – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in the United Kingdom was 68% of those registered. This figure is slightly below the OECD average of 69%.
Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In the United Kingdom, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 3.1 (on a scale between 0 and 4); one of the highest levels in the OECD, where the average is 2.1.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving public consultation practices
Consultations are a key component of successful policy making. They bring together varied expertise and opinions assisting in the identification of unintended effects and potential challenges of a policy decision. To improve transparency and increase public engagement, the United Kingdom replaced a highly detailed code of practice in regarding to public consultations with shorter Consultation Principles in 2012 (later updated in 2013). The principles simplify the consultation process by forming 7 key criteria that should be reproduced to ensure a successful consultation. This creates a clear guideline for public officials to follow in their engagements with interested parties and has proved a good example of powerful tool to improve formal consultations between public officials, stakeholders and the public.
An example of a UK government response to consultation can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181637/dla-reform-response.pdf
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being Regulatory Policy Outlook: United KingdomIndicators
Health – United Kingdom expand
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. Life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom stands at 81 years, in line with the OECD average. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).
When asked "How is your health in general?" 73% of people in the United Kingdom reported to be in good health, higher than the OECD average of 68%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Performance-based payment incentives to discourage smoking
England piloted a programme of “payment-by-results” contracts with smoking cessation services in 2010 as part of an approach to apply performance incentives to broader parts of the health service. The programme aims increase both the uptake of high-quality smoking cessation services and the supply of stop-smoking services. Contracts were made with Natioanl Health Service (NHS) providers, third sector charities and private providers (such as pharmacies), for services including assessment, counselling and follow-up.
The payment incentive varied slightly between contracts and schemes, but the principle of the programme is that providers receive an initial payment for the service, followed by further payments if the client has not started smoking again within a set follow-up period. In one scheme, a bonus payment of GBR 30.50 was made for each new client accessing the service. The client then has their smoking status recorded four weeks after their “quit date” (whether the person has quit smoking or not), and a further GBR 30 bonus is given for every person who has quit after four weeks. An additional bonus of GBR 50 is made for every person who is still not smoking after 12 weeks. A carbon monoxide (CO) monitor is used to confirm if people have quit smoking.
Addressing health inequalities
The London Borough of Islington introduced the Seasonal Health Interventions Network (SHINE) to address fuel poverty, excess winter deaths and hospital admissions. SHINE is a referral network, providing access to over 25 different seasonal health interventions including advice on affordable warmth, benefit checks, home energy efficiency visits, and support to help people stop smoking. It targets hard-to-reach and hardly-reached residents in the borough to help those most in need of support.
The number of Islington residents receiving support for energy efficiency increased by over 400% after the programme was introduced. An evaluation of the project in 2011 found that 60% of clients were unaware of the services they accessed prior to being referred by SHINE and 89% found the service useful. Following feedback, SHINE added new services including debt and financial advice referrals, handyperson services and home security.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Life Satisfaction – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being 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 objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, British people on average gave it a 6.8 grade, slightly higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Considering life satisfaction in policy
The Green Book is the formal guidance from the Treasury of the United Kingdom to other UK government agencies on how to appraise and evaluate policy proposals. Since 2011 it has included a clause on how subjective well-being – particularly life satisfaction – can be used alongside more traditional approaches to evaluate policy proposals.
While the amendment to The Green Book stops short of fully endorsing the use of life satisfaction measures for use in formally evaluating government programmes, the decision to add the clause in itself signals strongly the importance that UK central agencies attach to obtaining improved measures of the value of well-being outcomes.
Targeting services and programmes based on need
Well-being measures are useful tools to identify what kind of support is needed in different vulnerable neighbourhoods. The United Kingdom produces Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to measure the levels of deprivation in employment; income; health; crime; education; living environment and barriers to services. These indices use 40 indicators at both district ward and smaller scale levels (around 1 500 persons). The results have been useful in guiding the location of social services (e.g. Sure Start Children's Centres) and targeting regeneration programmes (e.g. the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the Single Regeneration Budget).
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Safety – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In the United Kingdom, 78% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, more than the OECD average of 74%.
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 0.2, one of the lowest rates in the OECD, where the average is 2.6.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Work-Life Balance – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.
An 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, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In the United Kingdom, some 11% of employees work very long hours in paid work, slightly more than the OECD average of 10%.
The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In the United Kingdom, full-time workers devote 62% of their day on average, or 14.9 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – close to the OECD average of 15 hours.