People in Worcester are among the least happy in the UK, a new survey by the Office for National Statistics shows.

The ONS carries out research every year to gauge the personal well-being of citizens across the nation.

It includes asking respondents aged 16 or over to rank their happiness, life satisfaction and sense of the things they do in life being worthwhile on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the highest.

The average happiness score for people in Worcester in 2018-19 was 7.14 – one of the lowest of any area.

Across the UK, the average score was 7.56, while the figure across the West Midlands stood at 7.54.

Happiness scores have risen gradually across the UK since the survey began in 2011-12, when it was 7.29.

People were also asked to rate their level of anxiety over a given day, with zero representing “not at all anxious” and 10 “completely anxious”.

The average score in Worcester was 2.97, a slight rise on the previous year.

This bucked the trend across the UK, which saw a small drop in anxiety levels last year, to 2.87 – the joint lowest since 2015-16.

Mark Winstanley, chief executive of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said the rise in happiness scores and drop in those for anxiety could mean people are investing more in looking after their mental health.

“However, it’s important that we do not conflate improved well-being with a reduction in people experiencing a mental illness,” he added.

“For every person that’s reportedly feeling less anxious, there is another that’s just been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, with many struggling to get the care and treatment they need.

“As a charity we’re still seeing plenty of people seeking help from our services, support groups and advice line, and it’s clear that there’s plenty of work left to do.”