QUALITY OF LIFE
Good Quality of Life: People, places and public services
Most people are satisfied with their quality of life; however, deep inequalities highlight the harmful impact of deprivation and the importance of strong communities. The interplay between people, places and public services must be at the core of the Government agenda.
Ipsos MRP Model
Ipsos MRP Model
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Key findings
Scotland and the South of England generally report higher satisfaction with quality of life. We find the lowest satisfaction in parts of the Midlands, London and some specific parts of Scotland.
net satisfaction with the quality of life in their local area.
net satisfaction with the quality of life for renters with low education living in the most deprived areas.
net satisfaction with the way people from different backgrounds get on together.
The UK government faces persistent challenges in addressing regional inequality and improving quality of life for all citizens. Despite various initiatives, including the Conservatives' "Levelling Up" programme, disparities remain, with the North of England and devolved nations consistently feeling underfunded and undervalued by Westminster.
This edition of Understanding Society uses our MRP model to demonstrate that place, people's individual circumstances, and access to public services are key factors influencing quality of life across the nation.
The interplay of these three elements - the "three Ps" - forms the foundation of our analysis. By examining how they interact and influence one another, we can better understand the complexities of quality of life in the UK and identify potential routes for improvement.
The geography of quality of life
Despite the challenges facing the country, most Britons are broadly happy with their quality of life. On average, more people are satisfied than dissatisfied with the quality of life in their local area – half (50%) are satisfied, with 26% dissatisfied, for a net positive satisfaction score of +25%. Yet our MRP modelling reveals large geographical differences in satisfaction with quality of life across the UK.
Scotland and the South of England generally report higher satisfaction with quality of life. Topping the list are areas like:
- Orkney (+62%)
- The Shetland Islands (+61%)
- Waverley (+57%) in the South East of England
- Stroud (+57%) in the South West
In contrast, we find the lowest satisfaction in parts of the Midlands, London, and some specific parts of Scotland. At the bottom of the list are areas like:
- Leicester (-20%)
- Sandwell (-18%) in the Midlands
- Newham (-17%)
- Barking and Dagenham (-12%) in London
- West Dunbartonshire (-15%) in Scotland
Deprivation is a primary driver of these geographical differences. Net satisfaction with quality of life averages +53% in the most affluent areas of the country, but drops to -15% in the most deprived. These deprived areas often grapple with a host of interconnected challenges, including poorer health and education outcomes, lower wages, and higher unemployment rates.
Individual circumstances further compound these place-based inequalities. For instance, residents of highly deprived areas without a degree report even lower quality of life (-20%), which drops further for renters (-28%). Conversely, a high income substantially boosts quality of life for those in affluent areas (reaching a net satisfaction of +71%).
Deprivation is a primary driver of geographical differences in quality of life.
The role of strong communities
The link between people and place is also seen in the relationship between quality of life and community cohesion. Community cohesion is essential for a good quality of life; it helps mitigate socioeconomic challenges and builds community resilience (the importance of community safety is another aspect underpinning this, with perceptions of quality of life closely related to views of the local police). In other words, it’s the people who make the place.
Again, a seemingly positive national story plays out differently in different places. Two in five (44%) say they are satisfied with the way people from different backgrounds get on together in their local area, while one in five are dissatisfied (22%), for a net satisfaction of +21%. Cohesion is particularly high in the Highlands and some other parts of Scotland, while all the top 50 rated local authority areas in England – bar only one – are based in London, the South East or South West.
But community cohesion is much weaker in Northern Ireland, with seven of the ten most dissatisfied local authorities located there (including Belfast -22%), a reminder of the long shadow of societal conflict. Other areas struggling with cohesion include Hull, Bolton (both -1%), Rotherham (+1%), Sunderland (+2%), and Bradford (+2%). The 2024 riots in some of these areas highlight the serious consequences of poor quality of life and weak community bonds.
Progress in building community cohesion has been hindered by inconsistent national strategies and insufficient data collection. As the Khan review highlighted, national governments have often lacked a strategic approach to cohesion. Even with local pilot programmes, issues like limited evaluation and poor data collection, top-down approaches, and disruptions like the pandemic have hampered learning and the nationwide expansion of successful initiatives.
Devolution and public service reform
The Government’s devolution agenda, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper aims to enhance local and regional powers to deliver economic growth and improved public service delivery. While this offers opportunities, it also presents challenges that policymakers should consider:
- Building responsive and effective public services: Improving public services requires continuous public feedback and engagement. A test-and-learn approach, incorporating co-design principles, can ensure services are tailored to local needs and address existing inequalities. Public involvement in developing solutions, rather than just providing feedback afterwards, is crucial. Building better public services that are seen to benefit the wider community is also likely to enhance cohesion.
- Ensuring accountability for long-term improvement: A robust outcomes framework is essential. Strategic Authorities should be accountable not only for fiscal responsibility but also for broader quality of life outcomes, including public service performance, community resilience, and social inclusion. These targets should align with national missions and incentivise long-term, sustainable improvements in wellbeing. This is likely to be more successful with a joined-up approach across government that brings delivery departments and the five missions boards together with the Treasury.
- Fostering integrated approaches: Devolution offers an opportunity to break down silos between different public services, but needs collaboration across all levels of government and civil society. Initiatives like the Get Britain Working agenda, spread across the Departments for Work and Pensions, Education, and Health and Social Care, show the potential for integrated, place-based approaches that address the complex interplay between jobs, skills and the barriers to employment through ill-health. Local authorities should also develop integrated approaches that connect different public services to improve quality of life, while the third sector is another layer of improving local relations and supporting local government work at a more granular level.
Devolution may improve regional fairness and prosperity in the UK, but success is not guaranteed, particularly given current economic challenges. Past regional policy initiatives highlight the difficulty of translating policy into real quality of life improvements.
While devolution can empower local communities and adapt public services to local needs, its’ success depends on more than just transferring powers. It requires innovation, efficient resource use, an evidence-based approach, and strong partnerships between local and central government, communities, and businesses. The links between people, place, and public services are important, but realising devolution's potential requires a realistic view of challenges, learning from past mistakes, and adapting to economic realities. These steps are necessary for devolution to improve quality of life across all segments of society.
Devolution offers an opportunity to break down silos between different public services, but needs collaboration across all levels of government and civil society.
Alex Bogdan Research Director, Ipsos
