The number of pupils under five increased from 21% in 1971 to 64% last year.

The number of adolescents who continue their education after the age of 16 has increased in Britain nearly three times higher than in 1970/1 years.

The number of pupils excluded from schools has fallen from 1997/8 by 23% and now stands at 12 people per 10,000 students.

The study shows that in this category, statistics indicate a positive trend for the planet.

From 1970 to 2004, carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere in the UK fell by 18%.

Since 1996/7 to 2004/5 years, the amount of garbage going to England for recycling and composting almost tripled.

British incomes rose on average by 1.4% between 2004 and 2005, and the gross domestic product per capita grew by 1.2%.

The number of single parents with low income has fallen from 40% in 1991/4 years to 21% in 2001/4.

In 2003, almost 75% of the country's wealth was concentrated in the hands of a quarter of the adult population.