The Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2021 reported a decade-long decline in girls’ happiness and wellbeing, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, there are signs girls’ and young women’s wellbeing is recovering. However, it continues to decrease once they start secondary school. There are also noticeable regional differences in girls’ and young women’s confidence and happiness.

Confidence

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 agree they’re able to do things as well as most other people. And almost 4 in 5 (78%) think they have a number of good qualities. LGBTQ+ girls and young women were less likely to think they have a number of good qualities (68% compared to 81% who aren’t LGBTQ+), showing a confidence gap.

Nonetheless a quarter (23%) of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 disagree they like being the way they are. There are also stark regional differences. Girls and young women in London and the South were more likely to agree they like being the way they are (68%), compared to 61% in the North. Across the four nations, girls and young women in Northern Ireland were most likely to agree they like being the way they are (70% compared to 60% in Wales).

Happiness

Girls’ happiness appears to have improved since 2021: three-quarters (75%) of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 say their life is going well and 84% agree they have a good life.

But happiness declines with age. Just 14% of young women aged 17 to 21 say they’re completely happy with their life as a whole.

Regionally, 72% of girls and young women in London and the South say they’re happy with their life as a whole, compared to 66% of girls and young women in the North.

Despite this initial optimism for younger girls, 3 in 5 (59%) girls and young women aged 7 to 21 would like to change many things in their lives. 42% wish they had a different kind of life altogether.

Again, girls and young women in London and the South were more likely than those in the North to say their life is just right (70%, compared to 65%). Girls and young women in Scotland were least likely to agree they have a good life (76% compared to 84% across the UK as a whole).

Similarly, girls and young women in the North were more likely to say they’d like to change many things in their life (63% agree) or they’d like a different kind of life (45% agree). Just 56% and 41% respectively in London and the South say this. 72% of girls and young women in London and the South agree they’re happy with their lives as a whole, compared to 66% of girls and young women in the North.

Disabled girls and young women are less positive about their lives. Just 57% agree their lives are going well compared with 79% of non-disabled girls and young women. Similarly, 69% of disabled girls and young women say they’d like to change many things in their lives, compared to 58% of non-disabled girls and young women. 60% say they wish they had a different kind of life, compared to 41% who aren’t disabled.

More LGBTQ+ girls and young women say they wish they had a different kind of life altogether (64% compared to 49% who aren’t LGBTQ+). 79% say they’d change many things in their lives, compared to 64% of those who aren’t LGBTQ+.