Economy still seen as the most important issue facing Britain

• Thirty-four per cent name the economy as an important issue for Britain 
• Concern about the NHS is in second place, though has fallen six points since last month
• Concern about housing rises four points, while Europe/Brexit has dropped to its lowest level since September 2012

The economy continues to be seen as an important issue for the country, mentioned by a third (34%) of Britons in the April 2024 Ipsos Issues Index. Concern remains relatively unchanged since last month, seeing a small decrease of two percentage points. It also remains the single most important issue, mentioned by 19%.

The proportion mentioning the NHS as a big issue has dropped six points since March. However, it remains the second-biggest issue for the country, mentioned by 29% of respondents.

Inflation remains the third-biggest issue for the country, mentioned by 27% of Britons. Concern remains at a similar level to that recorded in March.

Concern about immigration similarly remains unchanged since last month. Mentioned by a quarter (24%) of Britons, it remains the fourth-biggest issue for the country. Concern remains uneven, with Conservative supporters (40%) and those aged 55+ (32%) significantly more like to see immigration as an issue than Labour supporters and those aged 18-34 (both 14%).

Housing remains the fifth-biggest issue, mentioned by 18%, seeing an increase of four points since last month.  For 18-34 year olds it is mentioned by 23%, putting it in their top three after inflation (39%) and the economy (32%).

Elsewhere in the ranking, mentions of Europe/Brexit have fallen four points to just 3%. This is the lowest level of concern recorded since September 2012.

Gideon Skinner, Head of Politics Research at Ipsos said:

Our new Issues Index shows that although the proportion citing the NHS as an important issue fell by six points in April, it remains a key concern, and is second among Britons overall. The economy and public services are likely to remain at the forefront of voters’ minds over the coming months, suggesting that they will be critical factors as we approach the election.
The NHS was important in 2019 as well, but in other ways the next election is shaping up to be quite different.  Despite recent falls, inflation is still a bigger public worry than 5 years ago, especially for young people, while immigration is a concern for Conservatives and older people.  But Brexit, which was one of the defining factors in Boris Johnson’s victory in 2019, is now at its lowest point on the public’s agenda for over 10 years.

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 1,035 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 14 and 18 April 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.