Jon Franklin
@jonfranklin.bsky.social
Chief Economist at Pro Bono Economics
Last week's better-than-expected GDP data is, of course, promising. But people's actual quality of life won't recover until we've addressed the long-term deterioration in these key drivers of wellbeing.
August 18, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Last week's better-than-expected GDP data is, of course, promising. But people's actual quality of life won't recover until we've addressed the long-term deterioration in these key drivers of wellbeing.
PBE's previous research highlights that deteriorating trends in physical health, mental health and loneliness are likely to be the main drivers of this deterioration.
pbe.co.uk/publications...
pbe.co.uk/publications...
Caught in a trap? Low wellbeing in the UK 2025 | PBE
What comprises a decent life? It’s a hard question to definitively answer, with any individual’s response likely to differ from their neighbour’s (and even from their own answer five years in the futu...
pbe.co.uk
August 18, 2025 at 2:50 PM
PBE's previous research highlights that deteriorating trends in physical health, mental health and loneliness are likely to be the main drivers of this deterioration.
pbe.co.uk/publications...
pbe.co.uk/publications...
Most worryingly, around 2.7 million adults continue to live in wellbeing poverty (scoring 0-4 on the Life Satisfaction scale). This remains around 290,000 higher than it was in 2019.
August 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Most worryingly, around 2.7 million adults continue to live in wellbeing poverty (scoring 0-4 on the Life Satisfaction scale). This remains around 290,000 higher than it was in 2019.
I suspect this uncertainty for lower income households will come through in next Mondays personal wellbeing data release. The proportion of people living with a low overall quality of life - “wellbeing poverty” - likely to remain well above pre-pandemic levels.
August 15, 2025 at 6:13 AM
I suspect this uncertainty for lower income households will come through in next Mondays personal wellbeing data release. The proportion of people living with a low overall quality of life - “wellbeing poverty” - likely to remain well above pre-pandemic levels.