RESEARCH suggests that Yorkshire people rank happiness as a greater benchmark of success than wealth

The study by accounting firm Mazars showed six out of ten people in the region put happiness first, while about one in five said being a millionaire defined you as successful.

Also in the top ten indicators was achieving career aspirations, and about four out of ten cited being able to retire early as a true sign of success. Being a millionaire ranked at 16. Yet just a quarter of adults in Yorkshire and the Humber have a plan in place to achieve their aspirations and goals, according the survey results.

Ian Pickford, partner in Mazars’ private client team, said: “Our research shows that people define success in lots of different ways. Having enough money is important but it’s really interesting to see ‘being a millionaire’ and other materialistic definitions of success are way down the list.”