Life satisfaction falls to new low among lockdown-weary Britons

Life satisfaction has fallen to a new low among lockdown-weary Britons, according to the new figures.

Social indicators tracking the state of mind of the public since the crisis erupted show people’s outlook has declined over recent weeks.

On a scale of zero to 10 – with the top mark being the most satisfied – it found the average score was 6.7 last week.

That compares to 6.9 in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) poll the previous week, and 7.1 in the middle of September.

The rating has not been lower since the figures started being compiled on a weekly bases at the end of March. Before the pandemic struck life satisfaction was running at 7.3.

Gloom has been mounting about the prospects for the UK after cases started rising again in September.

A swathe of the country has been plunged into lockdown restrictions in a bid to get the surge back under control.

The economic recovery has also stalled, with warnings of a looming wave of redundancies. 

Meanwhile, whereas Boris Johnson voiced hope over the summer that a normality might resume by Christmas, there are now fears that restrictions will drag on for many more months.  

The ONS noted that the decrease in life satisfaction could be partly explained by ‘seasonal variation’. 

On average, life satisfaction scores decrease by 0.1 per cent between July-September and October-December. 

The poll published today found 76 per cent of adults were very or somewhat worried about the effect of the coronavirus on their lives right now. 

That has increased gradually from 64 per cent at the end of August. 

The main concerns reported were personal travel plans being hit – 56 per cent and a lack of freedom and independence – 55 per cent. 

The latest survey found anxiety scores were 4.3 – the highest since early April, but largely unchanged from the last survey.

Some 37 per cent reported high anxiety levels  – a score of six or above – compared with 33 per cent last week.