Would you rather have more money or more friends?

Connor IbbetsonData Journalist
January 09, 2020, 12:51 PM GMT+0

Rich Brits would rather be richer than have more friends or a better love life

The age old saying is that money can’t buy you happiness, but does that ring true with wealthy Britons? YouGov’s Affluent Perspective polling of wealthy UK adults, whose households earn over £100,000 a year, shows rich Britons would rather have more money than more friends.

Two in five (40%) of Britons in wealthy households say they wish they had more income, which compares to 23% who wish they had more friendships and 21% who say they wish they were happier. Another one in eight well off Brits (13%) said they wish they had more love in life.

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However, despite one in five wanting more friends, only 10% of rich Britons would also describe themselves as lonely, and are instead more likely to describe themselves as honest and friendly (64%). A similar number of affluent Britons (63%) also say they are loyal, and 54% say they are family focused.

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Affluent Britons are also more likely to be focused on their physical and emotional wellbeing rather than their social standing. Over double the number of rich Brits (73%) say they are focusing on their physical condition compared to the number (35%) who are focusing on their social wellbeing as well.

Ultimately what is lacking from rich brits’ lives is time - nearly half (48%) say that they wish they had more leisure time. Just over two in five affluent adults (44%) also say they that they prioritise their working lives over the personal lives to some extent.

Previously YouGov explored the differences between rich Britons who had grown up in wealthy families, and rich Britons who had grown up poor. Looking at these groups again the biggest difference is education. Britons who didn’t start off wealthy in life are more likely to have a greater desire for more education, with 17% saying they want to learn more compared to 9% of those who did grow up rich.

Image: Getty

See full results here

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