No scowls please, we're British Searching for the secret of a happy life? Live in Northern Ireland, get a job and move in with a partner - but don't worry about whether or not to have children. That, at least, is the formula that emerges from a groundbreaking exercise in measuring the wellbeing of the nation. On Tuesday the Office for National Statistics published its analysis of six-month's worth of national-wellbeing data, based on the answers to two questions more associated with philosophers than number-crunchers: how satisfied are you with your life and how worthwhile is what you are doing with it? Respondents were also asked how happy and how anxious they had felt the day before they were questioned. The study reflects a growing belief that traditional economic measures alone are insufficient to give a full understanding of how the nation is faring. The data - from a survey of 80,000 adults between April and September 2011 - is the latest release in the ONS's continuing Measuring National Wellbeing programme, launched in 2010. It exposes noticeable regional differences in happiness levels. Although its high dependence on the public sector means it is bearing the brunt of deficit reduction, Northern Ireland registered the highest score for life satisfaction at 7.6 out of 10. That compared with 7.5 for Scotland and 7.4 for England and Wales. Northern Ireland also had the highest scores on the "worthwhile" and "happy yesterday" questions. The lowest regional scores were in London and the West Midlands, which both registered an average of 7.2 on the "life satisfaction" scale. Experts at the ONS had no immediate explanation for this, but factors could include the younger-than-average and more ethnically diverse profile of urban areas. The West Midlands is home to Birmingham, the UK's second-largest city. The data shows mixed ethnic and black demographic groups reported significantly lower than average ratings (6.9 and 6.6 respectively) for "life satisfaction" question compared with the UK average of 7.4. In a finding that may hearten the government as it focuses on moving people off the benefit rolls and back into work, the data suggest a strong link between happiness and having a job. Average ratings for the "life satisfaction" and "happy yesterday" questions were all significantly lower for the unemployed than those in work, and continued to decrease the longer someone is out of work. Happiest of all were those in part-time work - provided they did not really want a full-time job, in which case their levels were lower than those of full-timers. Lowest of all on the satisfaction measure were those off work through sickness. Having children seems to make no difference to happiness levels, but having a family does affect how worthwhile people feel their life is, with those raising the next generation responding more positively to that question than childless counterparts. A relationship also makes a key difference. On average, adults who are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting reported higher average ratings than those who are single, widowed, divorced or separated. However, since the data are not analysed by income level, it is unclear whether it is the relationship that makes people happy or simply higher affluence levels in married and cohabiting couples. If Britain emerges from the data as a reasonably sunny nation - with three-quarters rating their satisfaction levels at seven out of 10 or higher - one interesting factor could be that the information was gathered during the summer months of April to September. The release of the full year figures later this year will also include data collected over the winter months, potentially allowing the difference to be analysed. Meanwhile, even the most miserable of us may have something to look forward to. When rated themselves on the "life satisfaction," "worthwhile" and "happy yesterday" questions, those aged between 65 and 79 scored equal highest with those between 16 and 19. They also reported the lowest levels of anxiety - suggesting that life really may start at 65.