FOUR IN 10 PEOPLE FEEL PARTS OF LIFE CHANGED FOR BETTER SINCE PANDEMIC – ONS

More than four in 10 adults in the UK feel some parts of their lives have changed for the better since the coronavirus outbreak, official figures suggest.

Of the 43% who reported positive lifestyle changes, more than half (56%) said they were able to spend more quality time with loved ones they live with, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Exactly half said they were enjoying a slower pace of life, while 47% said they were spending less time travelling.

The outbreak has also prompted 28% of adults to plan “big changes” in their lives once the nation has fully recovered.

The ONS analysed responses from 1,920 adults questioned between June 18 and 21 as part of its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey on the impact of Covid-19.

It found 47% of 1,200 16 to 69-year-olds had experienced positive lifestyle changes, compared with 24% of 720 respondents aged 70 and over.

More than half (52%) of those in the older age group whose lives had changed for the better said they were more in touch with their neighbours and that life had slowed down, while 47% said they were speaking more with family and friends.

Overall, a third of people who reported positive changes said they had been able to exercise more during the pandemic, and almost all (96%) want to maintain their increased activity levels.

Of those spending more quality time with the people they live with, 86% said they want this to continue after the pandemic.

For those planning significant changes post Covid-19, 42% want to make a change to their work, 38% want to change their relationships and 35% want to change where they live.