Health, friends and family top happiness poll

A survey has found that, unsurprisingly, health, friends and family are the three most important drivers of happiness.

The poll, which was commissioned by Prime Minister David Cameron and published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), asked 34,000 people “what is well being?” and “what things in life matter to you?” Cameron hopes that the results will help to influence future policies.

Jil Matheson, a statistician who compiled the report, said: “The debate has helped us identify the key areas that matter most and will help to ensure the measures we use will be relevant not only to government but also to the wider public.

“This is crucial to allow for effective development and appraisal of policy for individuals to use information to identify ways of improving wellbeing and to allow for assessment of how society is doing overall.”

Future statistics compiled by the ONS, which won’t be available until next year, will be based on questions including:
•    Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
•    Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
•    Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?