Poor mental health and rising living costs are some of the factors that contributed to a dip in quality of life for Bristol residents over the pandemic, according to a new report.
The Quality of Life report, published annually by Bristol City Council since 2001, aims to determine how satisfied residents are with areas of their lives in the city such as community, housing, wellbeing and transport.
The survey was posted to 33,000 Bristol households chosen at random in 2021 and received 4,360 responses, 3,870 of which were deemed ‘usable’ by the authority.
The results show a ‘challenging picture’ with 30 indicators ‘worse than last year’.
You can view the full report on the Bristol City Council website, but here are the key points.
The survey was posted to 33,000 Bristol households chosen at random in 2021 and received 4,360 responses, 3,870 of which were deemed ‘usable’ by the authority.
5. Bus woes
The report found that over the course of the pandemic, there was a drop in the percentage of residents who felt satisfied with their local bus service (49% down from 55% in 2019). There was also a decrease in cycling (18% down from 21%). Photo: Getty
6. Cost of living
The report found that in 2021, 9% of Bristolians felt they were struggling financially, compared with 7% in 2020. In Economy, there was also a slight drop in people shopping in their local shopping street (46% down from 47%). Photo: Pixabay
7. Lack of leisure activities
The report found that the percentage of residents who were satisfied with the range and quality of outdoor events in Bristol dropped significantly (52%, down from 74% in 2019) as well as the percentage of people who participated in cultural activities at least once a month (32% down from 43%). People also reported being less satisfied with leisure facilites and activities for children and young people. Photo: Getty
8. Housing issues
The report found that the percentage of residents who were satisfied with their accommodation decreased over the pandemic (82% down from 88% in 2019). The number of people satisified with the cost of their rent or mortage payments also dropped during that time (53% down from 59%). Photo: Pixabay