The first ever prosperity index released by the Legatum Institute, a public policy think tank, has ranked Wolverhampton as the worst place to live in the UK.
Sandwell, another area in the West Midlands, was named the second worst area to live in the UK. Birmingham was ranked the 142nf out of 170 local areas.
The prosperity index took two sets of national data, one looking at Eurostat GDP figures, a reflection of income in the area, and another based on the response to national survey on how happy people are with their current living situation.
What is prosperity?
Money + Happiness = Prosperity
Harriet Maltby, a research analyst at the Legatum Institute said:
“The average income is just over £18,000 in Wolverhampton… which is pretty reasonable. But on life satisfaction it is right at the bottom. It’s 170th which overall pulls Wolverhampton down to being the least prosperous part of the UK.
It is clear that there is more to prosperity than just being rich. Despite being the two lowest ranking areas, Wolverhampton and Sandwell did not have the lowest levels of income. The Isle of Anglesey, in Wales, had the lowest income but still managed to reach 59th in the prosperity rankings, thanks to the high-level satisfaction ranking.
Why do people feel unsatisfied?
One of the factors that influence how people feel about their wellbeing is unemployment.
“In Wolverhampton the number of people claiming out of work benefit is twice the national average and nearly twice the regional average for the West Midlands. This may help explain why it is the most miserable part of the UK”, said Harriet Maltby.
The post Wolverhampton ranked the worst place to live in the UK appeared first on Birmingham Eastside.