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Camden, Westminster and Richmond are among the best places to live in the country, new research shows.

The three boroughs were today named in the top five local authority areas in England for factors such as economic growth, social equality, sustainability and happiness.

According to the survey, twenty of London’s 32 boroughs ranked above the national average with 14 featuring in the top 20 per cent.

Eight London boroughs are also among the top ten most prosperous in the country. These are Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Camden, Islington, Southwark, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Hillingdon.

But several of London’s boroughs are still among the worst in the country for equality, with a chasm between wealth and deprivation in areas such as Hackney and Newham.

The research, carried out by Grant Thornton LLP, also found that Londoners are less happy than average despite high levels of opportunity and community.

Experts analysed 324 council areas in six different categories - including prosperity, health, happiness and community - to measure their overall “vibrancy”.

CEO Sacha Romanovitch said “real vibrancy” was about more than GDP and that prosperity does not always “translate into creating a healthy, happy place to live”.

She added that the findings will help the government identify which boroughs can lead the way in shaping a “vibrant economy and sustainable society”.

Company partner Karl Eddy added: “Looking beyond just economic prosperity and focusing on measuring the well-being of society as a whole can produce real change and start to positively impact local people.”

Meanwhile, jobs in London were found to add more to the national economy than in every other part of the country.

The London boroughs which contribute most to the country’s GDP are Westminster (£54 million), Tower Hamlets (£29 million) and Camden (£26 million).