Grumpy Glaswegians have come bottom of a happiness poll which ranked them the lowest in Scotland.
They were well and truly beaten by their friends in the north as it was found Scotland’s most remote residents appear to be happier than ever. They had already been revealed as the happiest in the country and now following months of lockdown those in the Highlands and Islands would seem they are even happier.
While residents in Mid-Scotland and Fife, North East and Central Scotland also felt they had good wellbeing in lockdown, Residents in South Scotland, West Scotland, and Lothians unhappiest with Glaswegians coming in at the bottom of the of Bank of Scotland’s Happiness Index.
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One of the most important factors in making people happy was the amount of green space around them with more than half of Highlands and Islands residents citing this as having a major impact.
The Highlands and Islands ranked top of the index with a score of 53.8 – the highest recorded to date. Residents are seemingly taking this year’s events in their stride, with happiness levels increasing by 4.7, over the lockdown period from March to June.
People were asked about their happiness levels in their local communities for the Index, a nationwide annual survey now in its sixth year, with a barometer ranging between -100 (very unhappy) to +100 (very happy).
People in Scotland rank the amount of green space as the number one factor influencing their personal happiness. Neighbours and the upkeep of the neighbourhood complete the top three.
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And coming in a close second of the happiest places are those in Mid-Scotland and Fife, where the home of golf is located at St Andrews, and saw the biggest improvement over the lockdown period from 40.7 to 52.3 (+11.6). This is followed by North East Scotland (45.6), which includes Aberdeenshire and Central Scotland, inclusive of Stirlingshire (43.7). Both areas saw their scores improve compared to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting the restrictions of lockdown may have had a positive impact on happiness, for many.
However, those living in the South and West of Scotland, and the Lothians, paint a more solemn picture, with happiness scores falling since March to the lowest they have been for a number of years. Glasgow is bottom of the pack, with a score of just 35.7, a fall of 6.1 since beginning of 2020.
New index shows Highlands and Islands residents are happiest
Ricky Diggins, Director, Bank of Scotland, said: “2020 has been a year of immense change for everyone, and we expected to see the impact of this in the results of our latest Happiness Index, which Bank of Scotland has been running for the past 6 years.
“The results show that the collective mood can be quite different, depending on where you live. Following the national lockdown earlier in the year, the Highlands and Islands recorded its highest happiness score to date, and other areas also showed improvements. However, happiness levels dropped below those we’ve seen in previous years, in Glasgow and Edinburgh, suggesting the pandemic has had a different impact on Scottish city dwellers.”
All age groups report an improvement in happiness levels over the lockdown period with the exception of those aged 35 to 44. However, despite their happiness score improving the most, those aged 18 to 24 are least happy, for the third year in a row.
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