A
recent ONS survey of well-being in the UK has produced some interesting
findings. Northern Irish people are
‘happier’ than people from other parts of the UK on nearly every measure of
subjective well-being (click here for the details). This is despite the fact that using standard
economic measures of well-being, such as GVA per capita, Northern Ireland is
the worst region in the UK apart from Wales.
This is also despite the continuing legacy of the ‘troubles’. So why is subjective well-being so high in Northern
Ireland compared to other parts of the UK?
Is there something different about our culture compared to the rest of
the UK? Is Northern Ireland a less
congested and more pleasant place to live?
Is Northern Ireland more egalitarian and less socially divided than
other parts of the UK?
