Guess which cities in the UK are the happiest?

• Brits on average rate their happiness at 6.9

• One in ten Brits (10%) rate their happiness at 10/10

• Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham revealed as the happiest cities in the UK

Finland may be the happiest country on earth*, but Bristol, home of controversial artist Banksy, is the happiest city in the UK, according to a study** by the UK’s number one bingo site, GalaBingo.com.

Now that the excitement of Christmas has died down and people have reluctantly gone back to work, spirits can run low.

To combat the gloomy period, GalaBingo.com has studied how Brits rate their happiness, and more importantly, what can help to improve our moods.

Polling more than 2,000 people, the research revealed that residents in Bristol are the happiest in the UK, while those in other cities may be in need of a pick-me-up.

The happiest places in the UK (based on average happiness rating out of 10) are:

1. Bristol – 7.3

2. Birmingham – 7.2

3. Liverpool – 7.2

4. Leeds – 7.0

5. Glasgow – 7.0

Whether it’s the brightly coloured houses, or the abundance of beautiful street art, something about the south-western harbour town keeps the residents cheerful.

However, while Bristol takes the crown for most happy on average, it is home of the Beatles, Liverpool that has the most people in the highest levels of joy, with over a quarter (27%) of Liverpudlians rating themselves a 9 or a 10!

In contrast, lending weight to the stereotype of grumpy, busy Londoners, England’s capital city trails behind with an average happiness rating of 6.7, but Manchester takes the bottom spot with just 6.6.

Overall, 65% of those polled rated their happiness at 7/10 or above on a typical day, with one in ten declaring they were a staggering 10/10 on the happy scale.

But it is the older folk, who really bring the numbers up, with Brits aged 65 and above rating themselves 7.4 on average, compared to the 6.8 average happiness of baby boomers (aged 45-64)

So, just what makes the nation tick? According to the study, the perfect day includes spending time with family or friends, eating favourite foods, and getting some much-deserved rest and relaxation!

Top 10 things that make us feel happy are:

1. Spending time with family (46%)

2. Going on holiday (34%)

3. Eating your favourite foods (25%)

4. Socialising with friends (24%)

5. Getting peace and quiet/relaxing (23%)

6. Watching your favourite TV show or film (22%)

7. A good sleep (22%)

8. Shopping (16%)

9. Reading (15%)

10. Getting outdoors (14%)

When asked about big life moments, Brits revealed that having a baby made them the most happy, followed by getting married.

Brits’ top 10 happiest life moments are:

1. Having a baby (40%)

2. Getting married (38%)

3. Buying your first home/dream home (27%)

4. Passing your driving test (22%)

5. Being offered a new job (21%)

6. Getting a promotion (20%)

7. Going on dream holiday or honeymoon (20%)

8. Finding out you are pregnant (16%)

9. Getting engaged (14%)

10. Celebrating a big birthday (14%)

It also seems that things do get better with age, with over 65s rating themselves as the happiest age group in the nation.

Karina Adrian, Head of Acquisition at GalaBingo.com, told The UK Newspaper: “It’s great to see that there are so many cheerful people over the country, but it seems like we could all take a lesson from the people of Bristol when it comes to happiness!

“Let’s not forget to treat ourselves, especially in the more gloomy months of the year!”