'Happiness gap' means working class are sadder than middle class - even if they 'climb the social ladder'

By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR Published: 00:02, 13 May 2026 | Updated: 00:02, 13 May 2026 Working class people are less happy on average than their middle class peers – even if they end up 'climbing the social ladder', according to a report. New research from the Sutton Trust charity found a 'happiness gap' exists between those born into different social classes. Those from a working-class background are twice as likely as middle class people to experience low wellbeing, the report said.  Data analysis suggested 21 per cent of people in routine occupations had low wellbeing, compared with 11 per cent of those in professional occupations. This gap was recorded only for people who had stayed in the social class they were born into. For people who transitioned from a working class background to a middle class adulthood, the gap partially closed – with only 13.6 per cent of these people experiencing low wellbeing. However, this was still higher than for those who were born into the middle classes and stayed there. This persistent gap could be explained by the 'trade-offs' people make to move up the social ladder, such as having to move away from home for success, overcoming class stereotypes and tougher work-life balance, the report said. Working class people are less happy on average than their middle class peers – even if they end up 'climbing the social ladder', according to a report (file picture) Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Social mobility hugely improves people's lives, but it doesn't always guarantee happiness. 'Even when people climb the social ladder, their long-term wellbeing is still shaped by where they started. 'Opportunity and life satisfaction are about far more than just pay, promotions and property. Family and friends, education levels, community ties and work-life balance all play their part.' Saleha Patel, 36, a pharmaceuticals professional who came from a working class background, added: 'I sometimes still get seen as an outsider because those shared interests haven't existed from my childhood, and so there's an element of loneliness. 'And the further I've moved through my career and through life, the further disconnected I've become from my community that I came from.' The research, supported by Co-op, is based on analysis of data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, covering 15,000 people. It said the overall gap in happiness between the classes was likely down to household income, education, housing and employment status. However, it also found that 'downwardly mobile' people – those born into professional households ending up in routine jobs – are 'protected' against the drop in happiness. The data showed 16.3 per cent of these people had poor wellbeing – which is not as high as for those who were born into working class households. The report said this could be due to these people having a 'safety net' of affluent family members to fall back on, or their 'wider network' and 'cultural capital'. 'It could also reflect higher levels of agency, where some may have been in a position to actively choose to eschew high status career paths,' it added. There could also be a 'lasting impact' of growing up in a higher income household, such as having better health or less stress in childhood, it said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.