Newcastle revealed as the UK's happiest place

Norway may be the happiest country on earth, but Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the happiest city in the UK, according to a new study by the UK's number one bingo site, GalaBingo.com.
View from the Quayside towards the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Sage Gateshead and The Tyne Bridge.View from the Quayside towards the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Sage Gateshead and The Tyne Bridge.
View from the Quayside towards the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Sage Gateshead and The Tyne Bridge.

GalaBingo.com polled more than 2,000 Brits to find out how we rate our happiness and what improves our mood.

The new research revealed that residents in Newcastle are the happiest in the whole of the UK, and those in Birmingham, Glasgow and Norwich may be in need of a pick-me-up.

The happiest places in the UK (residents noted a happiness rating of 7/10 or more):

Newcastle (72%)

Sheffield (69%)

Leeds (66%)

Manchester (65%)

Bristol (61%)

Overall, 65 per cent of those polled rated their happiness at 7/10 or above on an average day, with one in 10 declaring they were a staggering 10/10 on the happy scale.

So, just what makes the nation tick? According to the study, the perfect day includes spending time with family or friends, eating your favourite food, and getting some much-deserved rest and relaxation.

Top 10 things that make Brits happy:

Spending time with family (46%)

Going on holiday (34%)

Eating favourite foods (25%)

Socialising with friends (24%)

Getting peace and quiet / relaxing! (23%)

Watching your favourite TV show or film (22%)

A long, restful night of sleep / a nap (22%)

Shopping (16%)

Reading (15%)

Getting outdoors (14%)

When asked about big life moments, Brits revealed that having a baby made them most happy, followed by getting married.

Brits’ top 10 happiest life moments are:

Having a baby (40%)

Getting married (38%)

Buying your first home / dream home (27%)

Passing your driving test (22%)

Being offered a new job (21%)

Getting a promotion (20%)

Going on dream holiday or honeymoon (20%)

Finding out you are having a baby (16%)

Getting engaged (14%)

Celebrating a big birthday (14%)

It also seems that things do get better with age, with over 65s the happiest age group in the nation.

As expected, December 25, is the day of the year when we feel most contented, followed by January 1.