Two thirds admit to being dishonest - and the rest are probably lying

Nearly two-thirds of us - 62 per cent - admit to being dishonest with friends, family, neighbours or colleagues.

Sex and love are the most common reasons for lying, with a fifth of fibbers saying they hid the truth to cover up having an affair.

Many of us also seem to have decided that honesty is not the best policy in the workplace.

Researchers found that 45 per cent of us admitted lying to managers and colleagues, with e-mail being the most popular method used to deceive.

Paul Nicholson, an occupational psychologist, said lying in the workplace was now endemic.

"Whether it's adding a new skill to your CV, or bumping up your salary when asked at interview, it is almost regarded as part of the game," he said.

"The point at which a white lie becomes a fully-fledged lie is different for each individual."

The survey of 2,000 people revealed that 41 per cent have lied to friends, while 43 per cent admitted to being dishonest when dealing with neighbours.

And it seems the sexes lie for very different reasons.

Men tend to be motivated by more selfish desires, with 62 per cent saying they lie "'for an easy life".

Women, on the other hand, take a more altruistic approach to lying, with 65 per cent saying they do it to"'avoid causing others worry".

At a time when insurers are seeing a flurry of claims for damage caused by the recent floods, it seems many are also happy to exaggerate their losses.

Just under a fifth of those questioned said they would lie on an insurance claim.

One respondent said: "I pretended my handbag had been stolen and claimed it off the insurance, when really I had lost it."

John Beadle of Royal & Sun Alliance, which carried out the study, said: "As insurers we have to rely on people's honesty to a large extent.

"While we are happy that we are not the most lied to, the fact that nearly one in five is happy to lie to an insurer is worrying.

"Fraudulent or exaggerated insurance claims cost the industry over £1.5billion a year and it's honest policyholders who end up paying for it, adding about 5 per cent to our insurance premiums.

"Honesty is always the best policy."

A separate study found that four in ten of us admit lying about how much we earn.

A spokesman for the price comparison website www.foundem.com, which carried out the survey, said: "It found that there are two distinct reasons people lie about their earnings - one is to get a bigger salary from a prospective employer, and the other reflects the complex relationship between salary and status in this country."