British people most anxious as they approach retirement The figures also suggest that Britons have showed significantly more stoicism in the face of the recession and economic downturn than other European countries. Life satisfaction in Britain was at the same level in 2011 as it was in 2007. In almost all other European countries, including France, Holland, Denmark and Italy, it has fallen significantly. The ONS found that the proportion of people rating their life satisfaction as seven or more out of 10 rose from 76 per cent to 77 per cent, while the number of people who rated their happiness as more than seven out of 10 rose by 0.5 per cent to 72 per cent. Officials suggested that the rise was in part due to the decline in unemployment and other improvements in the economy. People who are married are significantly more satisfied in their lives than those who are cohabiting, single or divorced. In 2012/13, on average, people who were married or in civil partnerships rated their life satisfaction as 7.8 out of 10, while those who were cohabiting rated their life satisfaction as 7.6 out of 10. Women have higher levels of life satisfaction than men.