European Union membership - trends

Q If there were a referendum now on whether Britain should stay in or get out of the European Union, how would you vote?

Base:	All			All expressing an opinion
	Stay in	Get out	Don't know	Stay in	Get out
	%	%	%	%	%
25-26 October 1977†	47	42	11	53	47
24 May 1978†	43	48	9	47	53
29 March 1979†	32	60	8	35	65
March 1980†	26	65	8	29	71
19-23 March 1981†	33	58	9	36	64
March 1983†	36	55	9	40	60
7-8 June 1984†	45	44	11	51	49
12-16 September 1987†	47	39	13	55	45
19-23 October 1989†	60	29	11	67	33
November 1990†	62	28	9	68	32
21 June 1991†	63	27	10	70	30
4-5 December 1991‡	60	29	11	67	33
5-6 June 1992‡	52	35	13	60	40
10-13 June 1992*	53	32	16	62	38
21-25 October 1993*	46	39	15	54	46
11-30 April 1994	52	36	12	59	41
23-26 May 1996**	44	39	17	53	47
27-29 November 1996**	44	40	16	52	48
15 April 1997**	40	40	19	50	50
25-28 April 1997	44	41	15	52	48
2-3 October 1997**	44	37	19	54	46
13-14 November 1997**	49	35	16	58	42
25-30 June 1998**	47	40	13	54	46
21-24 May 1999	44	39	17	53	47
10-11 June 1999	41	37	22	53	47
13-14 October 1999	51	41	8	55	45
27-29 October 1999	42	45	13	48	52
22-27 June 2000	53	32	15	62	38
29-30 September 2000	43	46	11	48	52
24-25 November 2000	49	44	7	53	47
15-21 March 2001	39	42	19	48	52
30 April -1 May 2001	48	43	9	53	47
22 May 2001	43	41	16	51	49
20-22 June 2003	49	41	10	54	46
20-22 September 2007	51	39	10	56	44
22-24 October 2011	41	49	10	46	54
10-13 November 2012	44	48	8	48	52
10-12 May 2014	54	37	10	59	41
11-14 October 2014	56	36	8	61	39

†Asked as "...stay in or get out of the Common Market..."

‡Asked as "I would like to ask you about Britain's role in the European Community. If there were a referendum now on whether Britain should stay in or get out of the European Community, how would you vote?"

*Asked as "...stay in or get out of the European Community (Common Market)..."

**Asked as "...stay in or get out of the European Union (Common Market)..."

Base: c. 500-2,000 GB adults aged 18+ except 1981 (Base: 1,990 GB adults aged 15+)

 

Q If there were a referendum now on whether Britain should stay in or get out of the European Union, how would you vote?

Base:	All			All expressing an opinion
	Stay in	Get out	Don't know	Stay in	Get out
	%	%	%	%	%
14-16 June 2015	61	27	12	69	31
17-19 October 2015	52	39	9	57	43
12-14 December 2015	53	36	11	60	40
23-25 January 2016	50	38	12	57	43
13-16 February 2016	51	36	13	59	41

Base: Asked of half the sample (c.500 GB adults aged 18+)

Q Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?

Base:	All			All expressing an opinion
	Yes	No	Don't know	Stay in	Get out
	%	%	%	%	%
14-16 June 2015	66	22	12	75	25

Base: Asked of half the sample (c.500 GB adults aged 18+)

Q Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? (OFFICIAL REFERENDUM QUESTION)

Base:	All			All expressing an opinion
	Remain	Leave	Don't know	Remain	Leave
	%	%	%	%	%
17-19 October 2015	52	36	12	59	41
12-14 December 2015	58	32	10	64	36
23-25 January 2016	55	36	9	60	40
13-16 February 2016	54	36	10	60	40

Base: Asked of half the sample (c.500 GB adults aged 18+)

 

Since the referendum date has been announced we have slightly modified the question to include a preamble reflecting this. We also now have a follow-up question asking which way the respondent would be most inclined to vote for those who are either undecided or refused, in line with how we ask our General Election question.

 

Q As you may  know the United Kingdom will have a referendum on its membership of the European Union on the 23^rd of June this year. How will you vote on the question-

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? (OFFICIAL REFERENDUM QUESTION)

Base:	All			All expressing an opinion
	Remain	Leave	Undecided / Refused	Would not vote	Remain	Leave
	%	%	%	%	%	%
19-22 March 2016	49	41	8	2	55	45
16-18 April 2016	49	39	8	3	56	44
14-16 May 2016	55	37	5	3	60	40

Base: Asked of c. 1,000 GB adults aged 18+ each month

 

We have introduced some methodological changes, including educational attainment quotas and weights, and basing voting figures on all registered and with our standard turnout filter. See here for more information.

 

 

	All			All expressing an opinion
	Remain	Leave	Undecided / Refused	Remain	Leave
	%	%	%	%	%
11-14th June 2016	43	49	8		47	53

Base: 979 all registered to vote and 9/10 certain to vote and always / usually / depends vote in general elections

See also index of our polls on European issues