Are Manx people happy?

Government publishes Social Attitudes Survey

The Isle of Man Government has produced the latest Isle of Man Social Attitudes Survey - it's findings are very similar to those of previous years with a few exceptions.

This year’s report included a number of questions concerning immigration, race and ethnicity, crime, justice, and health that were not present in previous surveys. 

The overall picture is similar to the survey held in 2024 however, there appears to be increasing dissatisfaction concerning the Isle of Man’s political system.

There's also an indication that public attitudes have grown somewhat less favourable towards inward migration. 

On average, the population expresses moderate levels of happiness and satisfaction with life 

Overwhelmingly, people also regard the Isle of Man, or at least their neighbourhoods as being safe, with only low incidences of crime reported. 

Many also express a strong emotional attachment to the Island yet there's a substantial percentage who say they've considered, or are currently thinking, about leaving. 

The most common reasons for this are concerns about the quality of life and work opportunities on the Isle of Man.

There's also a desire to be closer to family, dissatisfaction with transport links to and from the Island, and concern about the way it is governed.

Politically, those who responded say they engage with current affairs and public trust in the major democratic and government institutions, such as Tynwald, its branches, and the Council of Ministers is relatively low and has seen a decrease since 2024. 

A majority of people who responded are in favour of at least some (as opposed to little or no) inward migration, regardless of whether this is composed of the same race or ethnic group as the majority of the Isle of Man’s current population, or a different race or ethnic group, or those from a poorer country. 

There was however a slight preference for people from the first of these groups and some indications that approval of inward migration of people from the latter group has fallen somewhat. 

On average, there's a belief that inward migration does more good than bad for the Isle of Man’s economy.

Socially, more than 80% of people are largely accepting of gay and lesbian members of the community.

In terms of crime, there are sizeable levels of distrust in the legal system on the Isle of Man with the vast majority believing crime on has either stayed the same or increased over the past twelve months.

A large majority single out drugs and drug-related crimes as being the most serious in the Island. A

Finally, many consider themselves to be in good health, but there appears to be a relatively low awareness of the risks posed by eating an unhealthy diet plus the consumption of alcohol. 

Meanwhile, there's a strong belief that the Government should prioritise screening in the fight against cancer.

The survey in its entirety can be found HERE.