Brits have been revealed to be a nation of whiners, with the worst moaners spending 10,168 minutes a year blowing off steam.

Research has shown over half the nation (56 per cent) admit to a daily groan and one in five (19 per cent) moan more than three times a day, resulting in 1,016 moans per year, for 169 hours.

Millennials are the biggest whingers of all Brits, with a staggering two in three (66 per cent) moaning every single day, with each episode lasting an average of 14.3 minutes, 1.4 times the national average (10 minutes) and almost 2.5 times the over 55s (5.9 minutes)

The study by Privilege Insurance has also discovered that the stereotypical British complaint about the weather reigns true, with this topping the list of moans alongside politics (34 per cent).

Meanwhile, lack of sleep (31 per cent), workplace dramas (28 per cent), and poor customer service (27 per cent) are also considered top fodder for a rant.

Comparing the sexes, money and health are more likely to warrant a whine from women than men (29 per cent vs 20 per cent and 27 per cent vs 18 per cent respectively), while women tend to complain about their weight almost twice as much as their male counterparts (27 per cent vs 15 per cent).

Men are far more likely to get on their soapbox about politics (43 per cent vs 26 per cent) and perhaps unsurprisingly, football (16 per cent vs 5 per cent).

Relationships are ripe territory for moaning all ‘round, with women more likely to complain about their partners than men (17 per cent vs 11 per cent).

An overwhelming 84 per cent of women found something irritating about them, and their biggest pet peeve is when their other halves are lazy (17 per cent).

Overall though, it’s late night disturbance from snoring partners (14 per cent) which is the most annoying trait for those in relationships, and one in ten (10 per cent) are also getting frustrated by other halves spending too long on social media.

This could explain why one in five (20 per cent) dread an onslaught of moans and groans from their partner, more than from their work colleagues (13 per cent).

However, partners also offer a shoulder to cry on and are the companions people turn to the most to let off steam (53 per cent), followed by friends (36 per cent) and colleagues (21 per cent).

Poor mum is the parent people fear a moan from, with Brits twice as likely to recoil at a gripe from mum over dad (12 per cent vs 5 per cent).

When Brits aren’t complaining about the weather or relationships, it’s the workplace which takes up much of the moaning time, with annoying colleagues coming out on top (30 per cent), ahead of work mates not pulling their weight (28 per cent) and rude clients (24 per cent).

Despite our love of whinging, we have no tolerance for others that do the same as four in ten (40 per cent) Brits hate having to listen to someone complain and one in four people (24 per cent) have admitted that they even moan about others moaning.

In terms of how we react when confronted with a whiner, one in six (16 per cent) would pretend to listen, one in seven (15 per cent) would stay silent until the person changed the subject, and one in ten (10 per cent) would even go as far as to brazenly tell the other to “get over it”.

Charlotte Fielding, head of Privilege Car Insurance said: 

“As a British brand we wanted to understand whether us Brits still fall into the stereotype of being a whingey nation.  These findings reveal that the top things we tend to moan about are the weather and politics – no surprises there.”

“Whilst a good moan can sometimes help to let off steam, we think it’s important for our customers to try to live as stress free as possible so that they don’t lose their cool when driving on the road, while in the work place or at home.”

 

Top 15 UK moans

1.     The weather 34%

2.     Politics 34%

3.     Not getting enough sleep 31%

4.     Work 28%

5.     Bad customer service 27%

6.     Money 25%

7.     Other people moaning 24%

8.     Health 23%

9.     Weight 21%

10.  Family 18%

11.  Having to queue 15%

12.  Partner 15%

13.  Public Transport 13%

14.  Colleagues 13%

15.  Football 10%

 

Most Moany Cities

1.     Plymouth

2.     Nottingham

3.     Cardiff

4.     London

5.     Glasgow

6.     Sheffield

7.     Bristol

8.     Liverpool

9.     Norwich

10.  Birmingham

ENDS

For more information, please contact: Georgie Bruer at Richmond & Towers: 

[email protected] / 020 3179 0720

 

Notes to editors:

Research carried out amongst a nationally representative sample of 2001 UK adults by Opinium Research between 31^st May and 3^rd June 2019.

Privilege

Privilege Insurance specialises in home insurance for homeowners and landlords. It also offers car insurance and breakdown cover by phone or on-line.

 

Privilege general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

 

Privilege and UK Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

 

Customers can find out more about Privilege’s products or get a quote by calling

0345 246 0515 or visiting www.privilege.co.uk