These Are Britain’s Unhappiest Places To Live

New data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveals the unhappiest places to live in Britain right now.

Researchers assessed the personal wellbeing in regions across the nation by asking residents to give a happiness rating out of 10, in response to the following questions:

A zero-rating meant "not at all" happy and 10 was "completely" happy.

Corby in Northamptonshire topped the list as the UK's unhappiest town, with an average happiness rating of 6.86 out of 10.

Research shows this area is blighted by social mobility problems, with one in five children there living in poverty, and a multitude of health problems that stem from obesity, smoking and alcohol.

Three Lancashire locations came next on the list. This region varies massively in terms of prosperity, with some parts suffering from higher than average unemployment rates. Preston, which ranked as the UK's fourth unhappiest city, is home to some of the most deprived areas in Britain, in terms of education, health, crime and living environments.

Four London boroughs - Lewisham, Greenwich, Haringey and Islington - also ranked amid the UK's top 10 unhappiest places.

Lewisham has one of the highest numbers of rough sleepers in the capital, a problem that is exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing. Levels in depression are high in Islington, an area where social exclusion is rife thanks to a growing rich-poor divide.

The ONS data indicated that national anxiety levels have risen slightly between September 2015 and September 2016. A spokesperson said that the organisation would begin to publish data quarterly, rather than annually, to keep a closer eye on emerging wellbeing trends.

"At a time when economic measures are generally improving, this is not necessarily reflected in how people tell us they are feeling about their lives," said Matthew Steel, a statistician at the Office for National Statistics.

"Whilst it is too early to say why anxiety ratings have increased slightly and why life satisfaction, happiness and worthwhile ratings have levelled off in the past 12 months, we know from our previous research that factors impacting most on people’s personal well-being include health, work situation and relationship status."

Take a look at the top 10 list of unhappiest places, and their average ratings out of 10, below.

The unhappiest places in Britain 2017

Read More: The Most Expensive Places To Live In The UK In 2017

Read More: The 10 Best Cities To Visit In 2017, According To Lonely Planet