More than 11 million people in the UK have found themselves smiling less over the past three years, according to a new survey.
One in 10 said they only smile three to four times per day, an average of once every five hours. Around 17% said they were smiling less than in 2022. The main reasons given for this were socialising less (45%), constant negative news (37%) and the cost of living crisis (36%).
A further 13% said they hold themselves back from smiling as they don’t like how their teeth look.
Which UK region is smiling the most?
Northern Ireland was found to be the smiliest region, with an average of 11.41 smiles per person each day. The east midlands came last out of 10 regions at 9.41 smiles per day. London fell in the middle of the UK regions in fifth place, with 10.71 smiles per day.
Women were also found to smile more often then men. On average, women smiled five times more each day compared to men.
When asked about their top reasons for smiling, almost half said spending time with loved ones (47%). Other common reasons included watching a funny TV show or film (40%), and being smiled at by others (37%).
The most common people to make respondents smile were partners (43%), followed by children (41%) and close friends (31%). A smaller proportion (7%) said their crush was a smile inducer, while 3% said internet influencers had this effect.
How often do people fake a smile?
However, 44% of Brits admitted to faking a smile at least once a week – most commonly at work. Three in 10 said they had forced a smile for their colleagues or boss.
Despite this, the research found that more than half of people (51%) felt a smile from someone else would brighten their day. Almost six in 10 (58%) also said they would smile back at someone else.
Positive psychology expert Miriam Akhtar said: ‘Smiling is the natural expression of a host of positive emotions like joy, delight and amusement. Humans communicate their feelings through their facial expressions.
‘The physical act of smiling activates pathways in the brain that influence your emotional state, so by adopting a happy facial expression, even if you aren’t feeling particularly joyful, you can “trick” your mind into feeling better.’
These findings are drawn from research commissioned by whitening brand Whites Beaconsfield.
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