Metric permalink
Anxiety
Part of the Trust and Wellbeing domain. Mean self-reported anxiety score on a 0–10 scale from the ONS well-being module (higher = more anxious), measuring population-level psychological strain.
Latest data
Latest reading
Q1 2026
Change between the two latest observations (Q4 2025 to Q1 2026), in stress score.
A higher reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Since the September 2026 release
What changed on this indicator between the two releases: new observation, source changed.
Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 2/3 weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 1/3 weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · diagnostic, not blended
39Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
UK Measures of National Well-being Dashboard
- Update frequency
- Quarterly/Annual
- Reliability
- high
Provenance
- Provider
- Office for National Statistics
- Series ID
- Mean anxiety score (0 to 10), UK, quarterly APS
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Accessed
- 1 October 2026
Known weakness
Headline mean anxiety scores mask large variation by age, gender and deprivation; the well-being module question wording creates priming effects that vary with question context.
Notes
Verified official value from Office for National Statistics (Mean anxiety score (0 to 10), UK, quarterly APS), accessed 2026-10-01.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3.1 | |
| 2012 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 2.9 | |
| 2015 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 2.9 | |
| 2017 | 2.9 | |
| 2018 | 2.9 | |
| 2019 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 3.4 | |
| 2021 | 3.2 | |
| 2022 | 3.3 | |
| 2023 | 3.1 | |
| Q4 2024 | 3.2 | |
| Q4 2025 | 3.2 | |
| Q1 2026 | 3.3 |