Immigration remains the biggest issue facing Britain

• Thirty-two per cent of Britons name immigration as an important issue this month, just ahead of the NHS and economy
• The proportion who cite lack of faith in politics and politicians as a big issue doubles from last month, to 15%

The September 2024 Ipsos Issues Index reveals that immigration remains the most likely topic to be seen as the biggest issue facing the country. Thirty-two per cent of the British public see it as a big concern, just ahead of the NHS (30%) and the economy (29%). 

Lack of faith in politicians and politics enters the top five biggest issues for the country this month, rising to 15% from eight per cent last month. Concern is particularly high among Reform UK supporters (23%) as well as 25-34 year olds (22%)  and those not in employment (19%).

The proportion who see crime as a big issue for the country has dropped substantially since August, from 25% to 14% this month. However, concern remains at a higher level than recorded over much of the past few years.

Mike Clemence at Ipsos said:

While immigration remains the lead issue for Britain, a very similar number of people are concerned about the NHS and the economy. These three issues stand far ahead of any other national worries.
The proportion who see a lack of faith in politics and politicians as a big issue for Britain has rebounded to levels last seen earlier this year, before the General Election.

Ipsos' Issues Index is conducted monthly and provides an overview of the key issues concerning the country. Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,003 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 4-10 September 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.