This is the latest edition of our annual Life in the UK index, now with four years’ worth of data trends, enabling us to take a slightly longer-term view of how people across the UK are living.
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- Carnegie UK
- 21 October 2026
- ISBN: 978-1-917536-16-5
- 30 minute read
Our collective wellbeing in 2026
Collective wellbeing is about everyone having what they need to live well now and into the future. It goes beyond individual happiness or health. Instead, it looks at the holistic, bigger picture: how our society, economy, environment and democracy work together to support people and communities.
The overall score for collective wellbeing in the UK in 2026 is 61 out of a possible 100.
This score marks a drop from the 2025 results and is driven by decreases in both social and economic wellbeing. Democratic wellbeing remains at the same level as 2025, and environmental wellbeing has remained stagnant since 2023.
While we saw signs of progress in 2025, this year’s results show some negative movements. We know that changes to collective wellbeing take time and that it is shaped by a range of different factors, but the overall pattern suggests that things are not improving – and in some important areas they are getting worse.
Understanding what influences collective wellbeing
This year’s results present a concerning overall decline in the collective wellbeing of people in the UK for the first time since we started running this survey in 2023. We know from previous years that positive change is possible, and that effective policy and practice can support better wellbeing. However, progress is fragile, and concerted and consistent effort is needed to ensure that gains are maintained and built on over time. The 2026 results, particularly the declines in social and economic wellbeing since last year, point toward shaky foundations that must be strengthened in order to support progress.
The index also tells us that people’s experience of life in the UK varies substantially according to their circumstances, highlighting the reality of inequality between people and within communities across the UK.
In 2026 the following factors stand out as particularly significant in predicting a lower or higher collective wellbeing score:
- Having a higher household income. People with annual household incomes of £100,000 and above have a collective wellbeing score of 68. This is 14 points higher than for those with an annual household income under £26,000, who have a collective wellbeing score of 54. People with an annual household income of between £52,000 and £99,999 are also likely to have some of the highest collective wellbeing scores (65).
- Being disabled. Disabled people have an average collective wellbeing score of 55, which is eight points lower than for people who are not disabled (63).
- Living in social housing: People who live in social housing have a collective wellbeing score of 50. This is 14 points lower than for homeowners (64). Those who rent privately have a collective wellbeing score of 58.
- Living in the least deprived areas. People who live in the least deprived areas (IMD5) have an average collective wellbeing score of 67. This is 13 points higher than for people living in the most deprived areas (54).1
The following factors are also notable influences on people’s collective wellbeing:
- Being 55 or older. People aged 55 and over have a collective wellbeing score of 65. This is six points higher than for people aged 16 to 34 or 35 to 54 (each 59).
- Being a graduate. Graduates have a collective wellbeing score of 64, compared to 60 for non-graduates.
- Living in an urban area. People who live in urban areas have a collective wellbeing score of 60, five points lower than for people living in rural areas (65).
- Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or another sexuality that is not heterosexual (LGB+). People who are LGB+ have a collective wellbeing score of 58, four points lower than for those who are heterosexual (62).
- Being a man. Men have a collective wellbeing score of 63, compared to 60 for women.
- Being from an ethnic minority group, including White minorities. People from an ethnic minority group have a collective wellbeing score of 58, compared to 63 for those of White British ethnicity.
Collective wellbeing map
Social wellbeing is about everyone being able to achieve their potential and contribute to society because they have their basic needs met. Our basic needs include feeling healthy, having access to services, feeling safe in and connected with our communities, and being free from discrimination.
To determine trends in social wellbeing across the UK, we asked questions about access to services, community relationships, safety and community cohesion, and self-reported health and mental health.
The groups most likely to experience high levels of social wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- Those with household incomes of £100,000 and above a year, who have a social wellbeing score of 77, 13 points higher than for those with household incomes of below £26,000 a year (64). Those with annual household incomes of £52,000 to £99,999 have a social wellbeing score of 76, and those with annual household incomes of between £26,000 and £51,999 have a social wellbeing score of 72.
- Those aged 55 and over, who have a social wellbeing score of 75, four points higher than for people between the ages of 35 and 54 (71), and seven points higher than for those aged 16 to 34 (68).
- Those in the least deprived areas (IMD5), who have a social wellbeing score of 77, compared to 65 for those in the most deprived areas. As area deprivation increases, social wellbeing scores decrease.
- Men, who have a social wellbeing score of 74, four points higher than for women (70).
- Graduates, who have a social wellbeing score of 74, three points higher than for non-graduates (71).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of social wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- Disabled people, who have a social wellbeing score of 61, which is 14 points lower than for people who are not disabled (75).
- People who live in social housing, who have a social wellbeing score of 59. This is 16 points lower than for homeowners (75). Those who are private tenants have a social wellbeing score of 67.
- LGB+ people, who have a social wellbeing score of 65, eight points lower than for those who are heterosexual (73).
- People from an ethnic minority background, who have a social wellbeing score of 67, six points lower than for those from a White British background (73).
- People in urban areas, who have a social wellbeing score of 70, six points lower than for those who live in rural areas (76).
Social wellbeing: breakdown of results
Negative changes to some individual aspects of social wellbeing have compounded to result in lower overall social wellbeing.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around social wellbeing.
Perceptions of general and mental health
- Overall, people are more likely to say that they have good general health (67%) than mental health (63%), a trend that has remained the same since the survey began.
- 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.
Community cohesion
- 28% of people across the UK feel unsafe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark, a figure which has remained at a similar level since the survey began.
- Although two-thirds (66%) of people agree that they are able to rely on someone in their neighbourhood to help them if they needed it, a substantial minority (17%) disagree.
- More than four in 10 (44%) people were unfairly treated or discriminated against in the last 12 months, similar to last year but four percentage points higher than in 2023.
Access to services
- The proportion of people who find it easy to access public transport has not changed since the survey began, at just over two-thirds (68%).
- 87% find it easy to access a grocery shop or supermarket in 2026, two percentage points lower than in 2023 and 2024 (89%).
- Four in ten (39%) people now say that they find it easy to get a GP appointment at a time when they need one, five percentage points higher than in 2025 and 10 percentage points higher than in 2023. The gap between finding it easy and difficult to get a GP appointment has been closing.
Social wellbeing summary
The UK’s social wellbeing score is 72 out of 100 in 2026, one point lower than last year.
There is no single cause of this decline. Negative changes to some individual aspects of social wellbeing have compounded to result in lower overall social wellbeing.
The data shows that social wellbeing is not experienced equally. Disabled people, people living in both social and private rented housing, and people on low incomes continue to report lower levels of social wellbeing. New analysis for 2026 also shows that LGB+ people have lower social wellbeing scores than people who are heterosexual.
The cumulative impact of these changes means that, collectively, our social wellbeing has gone into decline. Too many people across the UK do not feel healthy, safe, and respected.
Economic wellbeing in 2026
The UK scores 70 out of a possible 100 for economic wellbeing.
Economic wellbeing means that everyone has a decent minimum living standard and can absorb financial shocks. This includes access to a decent income, affordability, financial resilience, job opportunities and skills.
To determine trends in economic wellbeing across the UK, we asked questions about skills and job availability, and the affordability of essential items like food and fuel.
The people most likely to experience high levels of economic wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- People with an annual household income of £100,000 and above, who have an economic wellbeing score of 83. This is 27 points higher than for people with an annual household income of up to £25,999 (56). People with a household income of £52,000 to £99,999 have an economic wellbeing score of 78.
- People aged 55 and over, who have an average economic wellbeing score of 75. This is eight points higher than for those aged 35 to 54 (67). Those aged 16 to 34 have an economic wellbeing score of 68.
- Graduates, who have an economic wellbeing score of 76. This is eight points higher than for non-graduates (68).
- People who live in the least deprived areas (IMD5), who have an economic wellbeing score of 77. This is 17 points higher than for people living in the most deprived areas (60).
- Men, who have an economic wellbeing score of 72. This is four points higher than for women (68).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of economic wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- People living in social housing, who have an economic wellbeing score of 50. This is 25 points lower than the score for homeowners (75). Those who rent privately have an economic wellbeing score of 63.
- Disabled people, who have an economic wellbeing score of 61. This is 12 points lower than for people who are not disabled (73).
- People with children in the household, who have an economic wellbeing score of 66, six points lower than for people with no children in the household (72). Households with more children have lower scores: people with three or more children under the age of 16 in the household have an economic wellbeing score of 60, while those with two children in the household have a score of 66, and those with one child have a score of 68.
- People who are religious, who have an economic wellbeing score of 69, three points lower than for those who have no religion (72).
Economic wellbeing: breakdown of results
There has been a small but concerning drop in the number of people who say they can afford to pay for a decent minimum living standard, with many of the signs of progress that we saw in 2025 reversing.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around economic wellbeing.
Perceptions of education, skills and local job opportunities
- People have had high levels of satisfaction with their education and skills since the survey began, with around four in five saying they are satisfied with these (81% in 2026).
- Satisfaction with local job availability is now at the lowest level recorded since the survey began, at 22%. Meanwhile dissatisfaction now stands at 36% and is the worst level we have recorded over time.
Affordability of essential items
- 87% of people can afford to buy enough food for everyone in the household, two percentage points lower than last year.
- The proportion of people who agree that they can afford to keep their house adequately warm remains at 79% whilst the level disagreeing with this is 12%, five percentage points lower than when the survey began in 2023.
- The proportion of people who say they could afford to pay for an unexpected but necessary expense of £850 has remained relatively stable over time, with three in five (61%) agreeing that they could. However, a sizeable minority (28%) could not afford this.
Affordability of leisure activities
- After increasing in 2025, the proportion of people who can afford to socialise outside their home once a month has fallen back to 2023 levels (79%). Just over one in ten (11-12%) have consistently been unable to afford this since the survey began.
- Two-thirds of people (66%) can afford to pay for a week’s annual holiday away from home, three percentage points lower than last year. A quarter (23%) say they cannot afford to do this.
Economic wellbeing summary
Economic wellbeing in 2026 is 70 out of 100 and has decreased over the past year.
Economic wellbeing is not only about having a certain level of income. It encompasses the capacity to afford life’s necessities, withstand financial shocks, access secure and fulfilling employment, and develop the skills needed for future opportunities.
On the positive side, people still feel more able to keep their homes adequately warm than in 2023, and around the same proportion of people report being able to afford an unexpected expense of £850 as in previous years.
There have, however, been decreases in other areas of affordability. Fewer people feel able to pay for a week’s annual holiday or for socialising with their friends or family outside of the home. Concerningly, there has also been a drop in the proportion of people who can afford to buy enough food for everyone in the household. These figures reflect the ongoing cost of living crisis experienced by households across the UK.
The proportion of people who are satisfied with local job availability is now at the lowest levels since Life in the UK began, with just over one in five saying they are satisfied compared to one in four last year and almost one in three in 2024.
These problems are also not evenly spread. Those on the lowest incomes, those living in social or private rented housing, and disabled people all continue to face worse economic wellbeing.
Environmental wellbeing in 2026
The UK scores 63 out of a possible 100 for environmental wellbeing.
Environmental wellbeing means that everyone has access to green and blue spaces and collectively we live within the planet’s natural resources, protecting the environment for future generations.
To determine trends in environmental wellbeing across the UK, we asked questions about access to and the quality of local parks, rivers and other green and blue spaces, and about noise pollution, air pollution, and litter in local areas. We also asked about levels of satisfaction with efforts to preserve the environment.
The people most likely to experience high levels of enivronmental wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- People who live in rural areas, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 71, 11 points higher than for those in urban areas (60).
- People aged 55 and over, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 67. This is eight points higher than for those aged 16 to 34 (59), and six points higher than for those aged 35 to 54 (61).
- Graduates, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 64, two points higher than for non-graduates (62).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of environmental wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- Those who live in the most deprived areas (IMD1), who have an environmental wellbeing score of 54, 15 points lower than for those who live in the least deprived areas (69).
- People who have an annual household income of up to £25,999, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 58. This is eight points lower than for those with annual household incomes of above £52,000 (66), and five points lower than for those with an annual household income of between £26,000 and £51,999 (63).
- People from an ethnic minority background, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 57, eight points lower than for those from White British background (65).
- Disabled people, who have an environmental wellbeing score of 59, five points lower than for those who are not disabled (64).
Environmental wellbeing: breakdown of results
People are not as dissatisfied with efforts to preserve the environment in the UK as they were in previous years, but substantial problems with people’s local environments remain.
The figures show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around environmental wellbeing.
Issues with quality of local environment
- Just under two-thirds of people (64%) have experienced problems with noise in their local area whilst 36% have not.
- Over half (53%) of people experience issues with air quality in their local area, a figure which has remained relatively unchanged since the survey began.
- Of all three issues asked about, more people experience issues with litter in their local area (82%) than the other issues.
Perception of local public, green or open space and efforts to preserve the environment in the UK
- The level of those satisfied with the quality of their local public green, or open spaces has remained largely unchanged since the survey began, at 69% in 2026.
- Two in five (39%) are dissatisfied with efforts to preserve the environment in the UK, similar to last year, but five percentage points lower than in 2023 and 2024.
Environmental wellbeing summary
Across the UK, widespread problems with noise pollution, air pollution, and litter or rubbish persist in people’s local areas. While over two-thirds of people are satisfied with their local public, green, or open space, this still leaves room for improvement.
There is still only just over a quarter who say they are satisfied with broader efforts to preserve the environment in the UK.
As we have found in previous years and in other domains in this report, people’s environmental wellbeing is shaped by many factors. Area deprivation, rurality and age have the biggest impact on environmental wellbeing.
Our data also shows that household income matters: those with household incomes of below £26,000 a year are likely to have lower environmental wellbeing than those with household incomes above this threshold.
Those from ethnic minority backgrounds (including white minorities) and disabled people face worse environmental wellbeing. These inequalities remain entrenched. Furthermore, new analysis for 2026 shows that graduates are likely to have higher environmental wellbeing than non-graduates.
Democratic wellbeing in 2026
The UK scores 41 out of a possible 100 for democratic wellbeing.
Democratic wellbeing is about everyone having a voice in decisions that affect them. This means having local and national leaders who support participation, foster trust, and encourage diversity.
To understand democratic wellbeing in the UK in 2026, we asked questions about levels of trust in local, regional and national government(s) as well as other national institutions, and perceptions of personal ability to influence decisions.
While markedly low across the board, and the lowest of any of our four wellbeing domains, the people with the highest levels of democratic wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- People with a household income of £100,000 and above a year, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 44. This is six points higher than for people with an annual household income of less than £26,000 per year (38). Those with an annual household income of between £52,000 and £99,999 have a democratic wellbeing score of 42, and those with an annual household income of between £26,000 and £51,999 have a democratic wellbeing score of 40.
- Graduates, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 43, four points higher than for non-graduates (39).
The groups most likely to experience low levels of democratic wellbeing in the UK in 2026 are:
- People who work full-time, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 39, three points lower than for those who do not work full-time (42).
- Disabled people, who have a democratic wellbeing score of 37, five points lower than for those who are not disabled (42).
- People who live in the most deprived areas (IMD1), who have a democratic wellbeing score of 37, six points lower than for those in the least deprived areas (43).
Democratic wellbeing: breakdown of results
The proportion of people feeling they can influence decisions affecting the UK has remained consistent since 2024. Trust in the UK Government remains higher than in 2023 and 2024. Trust in most other institutions remains stagnant or deteriorating.
The figures below show the trends since 2023 in the questions we ask around democratic wellbeing.
Perceptions of ability to influence decisions
- Only 7% feel they can influence decisions affecting the UK as a whole, unchanged since 2024.
- Only 15% feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area, similar to previous years.
Trust in government and politicians
- Nearly half (48%) of people have low trust in the UK Government, an improvement compared to 2023 and 2024 but three percentage points higher than in 2025.
- Trust in MPs has seen a small improvement compared to 2023, but low trust remains common in 2026.
- Three in ten (29%) people now have low trust in the local council for their area in 2026.
Trust in institutions
- Trust in the police has remained relatively stable over time, with around a quarter (24%) having high trust and just under one in five (18%) having low trust.
- More than one in five (22%) have low trust in the legal system and courts, three percentage points higher than last year. This level is now the worst it has been since the survey began.
- Trust in banks has improved since 2023 and 2024, with 29% now saying they have high trust and 14% saying they have low trust.
Trust in media and tech
- Four in ten (38%) people have low trust in the news media, a score which has worsened by four percentage points since last year. Only 7% say they have high trust in news media, a figure which has remained relatively unchanged since the survey began.
- Six in ten (61%) people now have low trust in social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok). Only 2% have high trust in social media, unchanged since the survey began.
- Nearly half (45%) of people now have low trust in big tech companies (e.g. Google, Apple), a figure that has increased each year since 2023.
Democratic wellbeing summary
As we have seen in all previous years of Life in the UK, democratic wellbeing scores are lower than those in any other area of wellbeing. Once more, this points to widespread disengagement and lack of trust in the institutions that shape our lives.
Several of the small improvements we saw last year have flattened this year, with the proportion of people saying that they have low trust in the UK Government and MPs creeping backwards.
The proportion of people who have low trust in councils has remained stagnant since 2024. While trust in local councils is consistently better than trust in the UK Government this is nonetheless a concerning status quo. Likewise, at both a national and a local level, it is once again the case that very few people feel able to influence decisions that affect them.
Other key institutions like the legal system, the news media, the police, and banks also play a key role in our democratic wellbeing. These institutions generally remain more trusted than those of the UK Government. However, trust in the legal systems and courts has fallen this year.
Similarly, trust in the news media has worsened this year, as has trust in big tech. As we saw in 2025, trust in social media remains low.
Combined, this paints a picture of a society in which people feel unable to trust many of the systems that they encounter as part of everyday life.
There are also notable inequalities within democratic wellbeing. People with higher household incomes remain likely to have higher democratic wellbeing. New analysis for 2026 shows that both graduates and those who do not work full time also have higher democratic wellbeing than non-graduates and those who work full time, respectively. Democratic wellbeing also remains lower among disabled people and those living in the most deprived areas.
Get in touch
Want to chat about Life in the UK 2026? Get in touch with Susan.
- Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is a measure of relative deprivation for small, fixed geographic areas of the UK. IMD classifies these areas into five quintiles based on relative disadvantage, with quintile 1 (‘IMD1’) being the most deprived and quintile 5 (‘IMD5’) being the least deprived. ↩︎
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Social wellbeing in 2026
The UK scores 72 out of a possible 100 for social wellbeing.