Brighton has been named the happiest city in the UK.
A new study of 3,000 Brits has declared the seaside resort the 'happiness capital of the UK' – ahead of Leicester and Portsmouth – after more than a third of Brighton's population chose the word 'happy' to describe their lives.
Brighton also beat Newcastle, Oxford, London and Manchester to the top spot. But at the bottom of the poll was Edinburgh – only 16 per cent of its residents described their lives as 'happy', instead favouring the word 'anxious'.
'Brighton residents have found themselves topping our happiest city chart,' said Kerry Collinge, marketing director for 9NINE Super Seed brand, which commissioned the study. 'Maybe it's the sea air and sunny weather that keeps them smiling.'
Take a look at the top 10 happiest cities below:
- Brighton and Hove
- Leicester
- Portsmouth
- Newcastle
- Oxford
- Chelmsford
- Norwich
- Bristol
- London
- Cambridge
Additionally, the study analysed general life satisfaction and asked Brits to rate how they feel on a scale of one to 10.
Oxford came top in the life satisfaction stakes, scoring 6.72 out of 10, Brighton came in third place with 6.6 out of 10, while Edinburgh was once again at the bottom of the table with a life satisfaction average of 5.89 out of 10.
When asked to rate their life satisfaction, the average Brit gave themselves 6.37 out of 10.
Take a look at the top 10 cities for general life satisfaction below:
- Oxford
- Bristol
- Brighton and Hove
- Chelmsford
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Newcastle
- Southampton
- Manchester
- Portsmouth
The study also looked at what affects our mood, and what lifts our spirits. While three in five of us look to our bed for comfort in hard times, over half lean on family or friends for support.
Unsurprisingly, the typical British weather is most likely to get us feeling down in the dumps, with 40 per cent claiming inclement weather has a negative effect on their emotions.
Elsewhere, women are twice as likely as men to be brought down by living in a messy and cluttered home – 37 per cent claim that untidiness has a negative effect on their mood compared to 18 per cent of men.
It also emerged that the average Brit believes they will be at their happiest at the age of 33, and just over a third think their best years are now behind them. However, a fifth think they are currently having the time of their lives.
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Olivia Heath is the Daily Editor at House Beautiful. Heading up all things digital, Olivia loves nothing more than uncovering tomorrow's biggest design trends and revealing the best tips and tricks to help you decorate your home like an interior designer. Week by week Olivia shares the most stylish high street buys to help you get the look for less (while compiling her very own, and rather lengthy, homeware lust list) and showcases the best makeovers (who doesn't love a before & after?), as well as the hottest and most unique properties on the market.
Prior to making the switch to interiors on House Beautiful, Olivia worked at Reveal magazine, where she reported on celebrity and entertainment news by day, and attended showbiz parties and red carpet events by night! Olivia has an MA in Journalism with an NCTJ qualification, as well as a BA in Journalism and Media & Cultural Studies.
