The economy was seen by 49 percent of people in the UK as one of the top three issues facing the country in June 2025. The ongoing cost of living crisis afflicting the UK, driven by high inflation, is still one of the main concerns of Britons. Immigration has generally been the second most important issue since the middle of 2024, just ahead of health, which was seen as the third-biggest issue in the most recent month. Labour's popularity continues to sink in 2025 Despite winning the 2024 general election with a strong majority, the new Labour government has had its share of struggles since coming to power. Shortly after taking office, the approval rating for Labour stood at -2 percent, but this fell throughout the second half of 2024, and by January 2025 had sunk to a new low of -47 percent. Although this was still higher than the previous government's last approval rating of -56 percent, it is nevertheless a severe review from the electorate. Among several decisions from the government, arguably the least popular was the government withdrawing winter fuel payments. This state benefit, previously paid to all pensioners, is now only paid to those on low incomes, with millions of pensioners not receiving this payment in winter 2024. Sunak's pledges fail to prevent defeat in 2024 With an election on the horizon, and the Labour Party consistently ahead in the polls, addressing voter concerns directly was one of the best chances the Conservatives had of staying in power in 2023. At the start of that year, Rishi Sunak attempted to do this by setting out his five pledges for the next twelve months; halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut NHS waiting times, and stop small boats. A year later, Sunak had at best only partial success in these aims. Although the inflation rate fell, economic growth was weak and even declined in the last two quarters of 2023, although it did return to growth in early 2024. National debt was only expected to fall in the mid to late 2020s, while the trend of increasing NHS waiting times did not reverse. Small boat crossings were down from 2022, but still higher than in 2021 or 2020. .

As of April 2025, the economy was seen as the most important issue facing the UK according to young voters (aged between 18 and 24). Compared with the overall population, housing and the environment are seen as more important issues than immigration, which was the joint-second most important issue for the general population.

A 2024 survey found that over half of individuals in Great Britain indicated that access to treatment and long waiting times were the biggest problem facing the national healthcare system. Access to treatment and/or long waiting times were also considered to be pressing issues. This statistic reveals the share of individuals who said select problems were the biggest facing the health care system in Great Britain in 2024.

This statistic shows the opinion of British adults of the most important issues facing the United Kingdom (UK) in January 2015. Immigration and asylum were considered as important as the economy - both on 52 percent - followed by health and welfare benefits.

Sources distribution - Social problems in the UK : an introduction in the news

Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) of what people report are the most important issues facing the UK. Uses longer data collection periods to allow estimates from various personal characteristics.

Sections distribution - Social problems in the UK : an introduction in the news

Evolution, trends - Social problems in the UK : an introduction in the news

United Kingdom Capital Issues: GBP: Issues: Total data was reported at 13,372.000 GBP mn in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14,116.000 GBP mn for Sep 2018. United Kingdom Capital Issues: GBP: Issues: Total data is updated monthly, averaging 13,088.500 GBP mn from Jan 2003 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 190 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 129,347.000 GBP mn in Dec 2008 and a record low of 4,086.000 GBP mn in Aug 2018. United Kingdom Capital Issues: GBP: Issues: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of England. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.KB056: Capital Issuance: GBP.

Dataset - Social problems in the UK : an introduction in the news

United Kingdom Number of New Issues: UK data was reported at 9.000 Unit in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.000 Unit for Sep 2018. United Kingdom Number of New Issues: UK data is updated monthly, averaging 4.000 Unit from Jan 2018 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 Unit in Mar 2018 and a record low of 2.000 Unit in Sep 2018. United Kingdom Number of New Issues: UK data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by London Stock Exchange. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.Z012: London Stock Exchange: Number of Issues and Cancellations.

Sentiment polarity - Social problems in the UK : an introduction in the news

This survey ranks social issues by level of public concern in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2012. Of respondents, 89 percent were concerned about unemployment.

This dataset arises from the survey work undertaken by four closely co-ordinated projects, which were part of the Devolution and Constitutional Change research programme of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The principal aim of the projects was to establish whether initial reactions to the introduction of devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland enhanced (or otherwise) the legitimacy of the United Kingdom and the new institutions themselves.

More specifically the projects aimed to find answers to the following questions:

• Did the introduction of devolution change the distribution of national identity?
• Did support for the UK political system rise or fall?
• Were patterns similar or different across the four territories?
• Can any changes that have occurred in national identity and so on be attributed to devolution or to other processes such as generational change?

There were in addition a number of country-specific issues, for example, support for regional government in England. The objective of the survey research was to provide a firm empirical basis on which to study these questions.

This dataset is derived from several existing sources:

• British Social Attitudes Surveys, 2001 and 2003, produced by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)
• Scottish Social Attitudes Surveys, 2001 and 2003, produced by NatCen and the Scottish Centre for Social Research
• Wales Life and Times Study (Welsh Election Study), 2001 (held at the UK Data Archive (UKDA) under SN 4546), and Wales Life and Times Study (Welsh Assembly Election Study), 2003, (SN 5052), which were produced by the universities of Wales (Aberystwyth) and Oxford, and NatCen
• Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2001 and 2003, produced by the Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive (ARK)

The copyright of the data taken from these surveys rests with the original producers (see copyright statement below).

United Kingdom Number of New Issues: International data was reported at 1.000 Unit in Oct 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 Unit for Sep 2018. United Kingdom Number of New Issues: International data is updated monthly, averaging 1.000 Unit from Jan 2018 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.000 Unit in Jun 2018 and a record low of 0.000 Unit in Aug 2018. United Kingdom Number of New Issues: International data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by London Stock Exchange. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.Z012: London Stock Exchange: Number of Issues and Cancellations.

United Kingdom Number of Further Issues: International data was reported at 6.000 Unit in Nov 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.000 Unit for Oct 2018. United Kingdom Number of Further Issues: International data is updated monthly, averaging 6.000 Unit from Jan 2018 (Median) to Nov 2018, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.000 Unit in Oct 2018 and a record low of 0.000 Unit in Jan 2018. United Kingdom Number of Further Issues: International data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by London Stock Exchange. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.Z012: London Stock Exchange: Number of Issues and Cancellations.