UK wellbeing falls as living standards decline and discrimination rises

The collective wellbeing of people across the UK declined over the past year, with new Carnegie UK research revealing worsening living standards, rising discrimination, and more people living in poor physical health. The report shows a decline in social and economic wellbeing, while environmental and democratic wellbeing failed to improve.

The Life in the UK Index 2026, based on a representative survey of 6,731 people, recorded an overall collective wellbeing score of 61 out of 100, down from 62 in 2025. This is the first statistically significant fall in collective wellbeing recorded by the Index since it was established in 2023.

The research shows 36% of people in the UK are dissatisfied with local job opportunities, up four percentage points from last year and 13 percentage points from 2023. The proportion of people that can buy enough food for everyone in their household fell from 89% to 87% over the last year, while the data also shows a decline in the affordability of regular socialising and annual holidays.

More than four in 10 people (44%) reported they were unfairly treated or discriminated against in the last 12 months, four percentage points higher than in 2023, according to the report.

The paper also finds that only 7% of people feel that they can influence decisions affecting the whole UK, while only 15% feel that they can influence decisions affecting their local area. About one in six (17%) of people don’t have anyone to rely upon in their neighbourhood in 2026.

Nearly one in 10 (8%) people say they are in bad general health, two percentage points higher than in 2025, whilst one in ten (10%) say they experience poor mental health, similar to previous years. The index also shows that people on low incomes; disabled people; people who live in social housing; and people who live in the most deprived areas have significantly lower wellbeing than the UK average. 

Sarah Davidson, chief executive of Carnegie UK, said: “People understand that the UK’s biggest challenges will take time and effort to address. But this research shows that our current approach is not yet making systematic improvements to collective wellbeing, and that too many people continue to experience unacceptably difficult lives.

“Governments need to look beyond blunt economic statistics and judge their success using evidence about whether people’s lives are actually improving. Decision-makers then need to put this information at the centre of their plans for the future.”

Contact

Stuart Mackinnon [email protected] / 07934 296831