The cost of living continues to be the most important issue facing London

New research from Ipsos, conducted on behalf of London Councils tracks Londoners’ perceptions of key issues facing London as well as attitudes towards a number of key policy areas, including housing, crime, employment and devolution.

The author(s)
  • Alex Bogdan Public Affairs
  • Ben Roff Public Affairs
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Key issues facing London

The cost of living continues to be seen as the most important issue facing London (75% - no change since 2023) by Londoners. The top five most important issues are:

  • Cost of living (75%, N/C since 2023)
  • Housing affordability (59%, +5 ppts since 2023)
  • Crime and policing (55%, +8 ppts since 2023)
  • The NHS/ GP services (48%, +1 ppts since 2023)  
  • Homelessness and rough sleeping (46%, +1 since 2023)

Nearly three in ten (29%) said  that women’s safety, a new answer code for the 2024 survey, is an important issue facing London today.

London's housing supply and affordability

Seven in ten Londoners (72%) say their rent or mortgage payments have increased in the previous 12 months. 

Renters are at the forefront of the housing crisis, with eight in ten Londoners (80%) who rent their homes from private or social landlords saying they think there are not enough affordable homes in London. One in four renters (24%) agree they might have to leave London in the following 12 months to be able to afford to rent. 

Three in five (60%) Londoners say they would support new homes being built in their local area (+1 ppts since 2023), while 18% oppose new homes being built in their local area (+1 ppts since 2023). Support for new homes being built rises to 74% if the new homes are affordable to local people.

  • 56% support new homes being built on the grey belt - defined as “parts of greenbelt land which have previously been built on, such as car parks and old petrol stations” – with 18% opposed. 
  • There is less support for building new homes if they were private rented housing (36% support, 33% oppose) or if they were high-rise flats (34% support, 40% oppose).

London's institutions and devolution

Nearly half of Londoners (46%) support devolving more powers to London  (no change since 2023), while 21% oppose more devolution. Support for transferring more powers to London local and regional government is higher for specific policies, especially housing and public transport (each supported by 61%, no change since 2023). Yet half (49%) agree the Mayor of London and London boroughs have enough power to develop solutions that work for communities in their areas.

Other key findings from the survey

  • A majority of Londoners (65%) are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, and strongly feel they belong to their local area (69%). 
  • Seven in ten (70%) Londoners who are in work are satisfied with the flexibility of their job, while 68% are satisfied with their work-life balance. 
  • Most Londoners (65%, -2 ppts since 2023) continue to see long waiting times as the biggest problem facing the healthcare system in London.
  • A majority (76%) feel safe travelling outside in their local area during the day, while just under half feel safe after dark (48%).

The full report can be accessed on London Council’s website.

Technical note

Ipsos conducted an online survey of 1,000 residents aged 18+ living in Greater London using Ipsos’s iSay Panel, a panel of pre-recruited individuals who have agreed to take part in research.
Fieldwork took place between 1 – 17 October 2024 inclusive.
Quotas were set by age, gender, work status and inner/outer London, with final data also weighted to these profiles along with housing tenure and ethnicity to match the profile of the wider London population.

The author(s)
  • Alex Bogdan Public Affairs
  • Ben Roff Public Affairs

Society