Fall in UK social and economic wellbeing
Carnegie UK’s fourth annual Life in the UK Index finds that the collective wellbeing of people in the UK has declined, with both social and economic wellbeing falling since 2025. See the report for the key findings.
The report shows that fewer people can afford to buy enough food for everyone in their household, socialise with friends or family, or pay for a week’s annual holiday, in 2026 than was the case in 2025. Satisfaction with local job opportunities has also fallen to its lowest level since the Index began in 2023. However, people remain more able to keep their homes adequately warm than they were in 2023.
More than four in 10 people (44%) reported they were unfairly treated or discriminated against in the last 12 months, four points higher than in 2023.
Democratic wellbeing remains at a low level, with few people feeling able to influence decisions affecting either the UK or their local area. Trust in the news media, the legal system, social media and big technology companies has also worsened.
The Life in the UK Index 2026 is based upon a 26-question online survey of a representative UK sample of 6,731 adults aged 16+ conducted between 21 and 27 May 2026. The data was collected using the Ipsos UK KnowledgePanel, an online random probability panel using the most rigorous sampling methods. The Index has been running over four waves since 2023.
