Life satisfaction in the UK has not improved since the Covid pandemic, official figures show, even as the economic outlook has strengthened in recent years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that average life satisfaction remains below its pre-pandemic peak. This comes despite UK GDP per person increasing since 2021. However, the latest data also shows a recent dip in living standards, with GDP per person falling in the third and fourth quarters of 2025. Trust in the UK government remains low. The ONS found that only about one in five adults (21.9%) in Great Britain reported trusting the government between December 2025 and January 2026. During the Covid pandemic, the proportion of people reporting low life satisfaction rose sharply. In the first three months of 2021, 6.4% of adults aged 16 and over said they felt very unsatisfied with life, reaching a nine-year high. Since then, the figure has slightly declined but stayed roughly at 5%. The most recent data, covering July to September 2025, shows that 5.1% of adults reported very low life satisfaction. Age also plays a role in life satisfaction. Adults aged 45 to 64 were the most dissatisfied, while those aged 30 to 34 reported the lowest levels of dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the share of adults reporting very high life satisfaction has risen slightly, from 25.5% in July to September 2024 to 26.7% during the same period in 2025. The ONS noted that before the pandemic, life satisfaction generally increased alongside GDP per person. This link “diverged sharply” during Covid and has not yet realigned. GDP per person was £10,127 in the final three months of 2025, down 0.1% from the previous quarter but up 0.6% from a year earlier. Alongside stagnant life satisfaction, overall health has declined. The proportion of adults reporting good or very good health fell from 76% at the end of 2020 to 70.9% in the final quarter of 2025. The ONS described this as a “sustained post-pandemic decline in overall health,” a trend also reflected in rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness. Consumer sentiment mirrors these findings. Surveys suggest households remain cautious about the future, even as inflation dropped to 3% in January 2026, down from 3.4% a month earlier, and interest rates fell steadily. A GfK survey reported that consumer confidence in the UK fell for the first time in three months in February 2026, as more people expressed concerns about their personal finances. Similarly, an S&P Global report described UK household sentiment as “dismal,” with many worried about debt, savings, and their financial prospects. The ONS data and consumer surveys indicate that life satisfaction, health, and financial confidence in the UK remain fragile. Experts suggest that while the economy shows signs of improvement, these figures underline the lasting social and personal impacts of the pandemic.