The National Lottery Lucky Study has pinpointed what UK residents consider to be the luckiest and unluckiest cities to live in. The report, which was led by respected psychologist and author Dr Linda Papodopoulos, is the most comprehensive of its kind. The study was designed to assess overall British attitudes, levels of satisfaction with life, our beliefs about how much control we have over our destinies and how all of this influences how lucky we feel.
Dr Papodopoulos explains: "For a large proportion of people, luck underscores the decisions they make and whether they believe to have good luck or bad luck impacts on the kind of life they lead. Overall, we can observe that across the whole of the UK, the higher the life satisfaction scores come out, the luckier people feel."
Although British people are often portrayed as sour-faced pessimists, the report shows that 80% of adults in the UK say they are generally satisfied with their lives and optimistic about the future. 66% think of themselves as being lucky. Intriguingly, married people report higher levels of satisfaction and fortuitous feelings than those who are single. The report also found that:
" Brighton is the most satisfied of all towns included in the study, with London placing second and Leicester and Liverpool tied for third place.
" The least satisfied city is Cambridge. Glasgow and Leeds share joint second place.
" 93% of Brighton residents report feeling lucky, giving them a nice advantage over people in Liverpool (87%) and Reading (84%).
" The least lucky place to live is Aberdeen, with just 48% of people there giving a positive response. Edinburgh and Leicester fared slightly better with 50% of people admitting to feeling lucky.
" 94% of Belfast residents say that they are hopeful for the future, but those in the West Midlands are at the opposite end of the spectrum with only 80% of residents feeling hopeful.
Dr Papadopoulos, said: "There are a number of factors that can impact on the positivity of a region or town and its attitude to luck. Key factors include regeneration, tourism, sporting success and location.
"It is no surprise that in Brighton residents are in such a positive frame of mind. The city has gradually developed into a cosmopolitan hub on the south coast, with a vibrant social scene. Brighton restaurants dominated the recent 2006 Observer Food Monthly Awards and it is one of the top 10 destinations for visitors to the UK.
"As for Belfast, there is no doubt that the reduction in the level of violence in recent years has led to a better quality of life and put its residents in a positive frame of mind about the future. More economic investment is being attracted - not least with a growing influx of tourists - and this is bound to have an impact on how satisfied people in the area feel."
Dianne Thompson, the Chief Executive of Camelot, added: "The National Lottery is synonymous with the concept of luck. This study shows that as a nation we definitely have a 'glass half full' attitude which undoubtedly has a positive effect on how lucky we perceive ourselves."