OBJECTIVE: To measure the health of a representative sample of the population of the United Kingdom by using the EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaire. DESIGN: Stratified random sample representative of the general population aged 18 and over and living in the community. SETTING: United Kingdom. SUBJECTS: 3395 people resident in the United Kingdom. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average values for mobility, self care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression. RESULTS: One in three respondents reported problems with pain or discomfort. There were differences in the perception of health according to the respondent's age, social class, education, housing tenure, economic position, and smoking behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: The EQ-5D questionnaire is a practical way of measuring the health of a population and of detecting differences in subgroups of the population.