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 purpose of the index is to help governments across the UK 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.
Key findings
The collective wellbeing of people across the UK has declined over the past year.
More than four in 10 people (44%) reported being unfairly treated or discriminated against in the past 12 months, four percentage points higher than in 2023.
The proportion of people able to buy enough food for everyone in their household fell from 89% to 87% over the past year.
Project summary
Now in its fourth year, the Life in the UK Index provides robust evidence about what life is like for people across the country. The 2026 Index shows that, for the first time since the index launched in 2023, the collective wellbeing of people across the UK has declined.
Social and economic wellbeing both fell over the past year, while environmental and democratic wellbeing failed to improve. People on low incomes, disabled people, people living in social housing and those living in the most deprived areas continue to experience significantly lower wellbeing than the UK average.
Financial pressures are continuing to grow. The proportion of people able to buy enough food for everyone in their household has fallen, while fewer people can afford regular socialising and annual holidays. Dissatisfaction with local job opportunities has also reached its highest level since the ndex began.
Discrimination is rising and many people feel disconnected from the decisions that affect their lives. More than four in 10 people reported being unfairly treated or discriminated against in the past year. Just 7% believe they can influence decisions affecting the UK as a whole, while only 15% feel able to influence decisions in their local area.
Our findings show that the UK is not making consistent progress towards better collective wellbeing and that too many people continue to experience unacceptably difficult lives. Addressing the inequalities experienced by those with the lowest wellbeing must be a priority.
We believe that improving the wellbeing of people across the UK should be the overall aim of public policy. Governments should judge success not simply by economic statistics, but by whether people’s lives are actually improving.
Partners
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What’s new in 2026 for Life in the UK?
Now in its fourth year, Carnegie UK’s Life in the UK index is an annual report based on what people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland tell us about their lives. It measures collective wellbeing across the UK, which we define as everyone having what they need to live well now and in the […]
Want to find out more?
Our key contact for this programme is Susan.
Susan is head of research and insights. Susan is responsible for managing Carnegie UK’s research function and research outputs.
Susan has worked in social and market research for over 25 years in research agencies, predominantly working for the UK and Scottish Governments and was head of research at both the Charities Aid Foundation and the UK’s Publishers Association. Susan’s skills span quantitative and qualitative techniques.
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