The economy and inflation return as the most mentioned important issues facing the country

• Forty per cent of Britons say the economy is one of the biggest issues for Britain, while 35% mention inflation and prices
• The proportion mentioning the NHS as a big concern has fallen by seventeen points since January, however it remains the country’s third-biggest issue

The February 2023 Ipsos Issues Index shows economic concerns returning to the top of the most-mentioned issues for Britain, while concern about the NHS has fallen significantly since January.

Forty per cent of Britons say the economy is a big issue for Britain, a small increase on the level recorded in January (37%). Thirty-five per cent mention inflation and prices as one of the biggest issues facing the country, close to the level recorded in January (34%). These are also considered the single biggest issue for the country; a quarter (26%) say this about the economy and a fifth (21%) select inflation.

Concern about the NHS has fallen by seventeen percentage points compared with January, when it was the biggest issue for the country. Twenty-five per cent see the health service as a worry, down from 42% in January. However, it remains the third-biggest issue facing the country this month.

Lack of faith in politicians and politics is the fourth-biggest concern, rising three points since January to 14%. The proportion mentioning immigration as a big issue this month stands at 12%, down from 15% last month.

Between them, concern about inflation and the economy are the top concerns for most groups in Britain. However there are differences in how each is perceived.

• The economy is a bigger concern than inflation for men, older people (over 55), those from social grade ABC1 and Labour party supporters
• The two issues are more similarly ranked by women, people aged 18-35, those from social grades C2DE and Conservative party supporters.

Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said:

Public attention has shifted from healthcare back to the economy this month, with a sharp fall in the number mentioning the NHS as a big issue for Britain.
Immigration and concern about the behaviour of politicians complete the nations’ top five, although both these issues are a concern for comparatively few.

Technical note
Ipsos' Issues Index is conducted monthly and provides an overview of the key issues concerning the country. Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,002 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. The answers are spontaneous responses, and participants are not prompted with any answers.

Ipsos’ telephone omnibus was used for this survey. Interviews were conducted between 8 and 14 February 2023 across Great Britain. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.