Levels of general happiness have edged higher in the UK in stark contrast to the rest of the developed world, according to the study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

In its ‘How’s Life?’ study, the Paris-based thinktank measured wellbeing in 34 industrialised nations, weighing up factors including incomes, education, housing and security.

In the UK, the proportion of people who ranked themselves satisfied with their lives overall went from 63% to 64%, while in crisis hit Greece and Spain, overall satisfaction levels fell by 20% and 12% respectively.

The study also found that trust in government has risen in the UK over the past five years despite trust levels in eurozone countries plummeting over the same period.

Overall Britain was ranked with Switzerland, Australia, Scandinavia, Canada and New Zealand in the top tier in the OECD study.

According to the OECD, despite the recession sending the UK’s unemployment rate up and putting a squeeze on living standards across all the countries studied, the drop in national morale seen in other countries were not as ‘visible’ in the UK.

While there is an increase in the positive general level of happiness in the UK, it continues to lag behind other countries in education and skills levels, falling below the OECD average.

The gap between the rich and poor also widened faster than in other countries.

The UK was ranked 21st for education overall well behind countries such as Russia, Slovenia and Hungary.

There are also signs that Britons have become more selfish at a time when crisis appears to have strengthened social solidarity elsewhere.

While the number of people who say they have actively helped a stranger recently has risen across the OECD it fell by 3% in the UK between 2007 and 2011.

The UK also ranked highest on environmental scores which include water and air quality and “social connections” which measures whether people have a network of friends and relatives they feel they can rely on. Only the Irish and Israelis scored higher on this measure.

However, overall the OECD findings showed that the economic crisis had had a “profound impact” on life across the world’s leading economies eroding trust in governments and national morale, especially in countries which use the euro.