A SURVEY set up to rate people's life satisfaction and happiness showed Newport residents' general wellbeing to be on the low side.

According to a new Office for National Statistics survey life satisfaction is lower in Newport than the national average.

The average rating for life satisfaction across the UK is 7.54 out of 10 – Newport fell just below this with a score of 7.3 out of 10.

The data has come from a survey that has revealed the UK’s unhappiest places. Colchester came bottom of the list of happy places in the country.

Second from the bottom was Redditch, Norwich reported being the third-most unhappy whilst Tunbridge Wells and Lambeth took the fourth and fifth bottom spots.

The survey assessed four key components: life satisfaction, the feeling that the things you have done in the last year are worthwhile, happiness yesterday and anxiety yesterday.

Although Newport was not one of the bottom places on the list the life satisfaction, feeling of worthwhile and happiness scores were all lower than the national average.

Newport's ratings:

  • Life satisfaction: 7.3 out of 10
  • Feeling that the things done in life are worthwhile:  7.6 out of 10
  • Happiness yesterday: 7.2 out of 10
  • Anxiety yesterday: 3.1 out of 10

Average ratings:

  • Life Satisfaction: 7.54 out of 10 
  • Feeling that the things done in life are worthwhile: 7.77 out of 10
  • Happiness yesterday: 7.45 out of 10
  • Anxiety yesterday: 3.12 out of 10

Newport scored close to the national average on the anxiety ratings, whilst Torfaen’s anxiety ratings were higher at 3.5.

Life satisfaction was slightly higher in Torfaen and Caerphilly – both areas scored 7.4 out of 10.

Newport resident Michelle Williams said that she feels happy with her life satisfaction here in Newport.

Ms Williams said: “I enjoy living here in Newport.

“It has great transport links into Cardiff and Bristol and from there London.

“I’ve lived here for over 20 years and don’t intend to go anywhere else.”