Immigration remains the biggest issue facing Britain

The October 2025 Ipsos Issues Index reveals that immigration continues to be seen as the biggest issue facing the country, with 47% of Britons mentioning it as an issue. It also remains seen as the single most important issue facing the county, chosen by over a quarter Britons (27%). Immigration is a particular concern for Reform UK supporters (83%), those aged 55+ (56%) and people in social grades C2DE (53%).

The economy and the NHS remain in the top three issues, mentioned by 33% and 24% respectively. Inflation remains the fourth biggest issue mentioned by 22%, a small increase of three points since September.

The proportion expressing concern about a lack of faith in politics/politicians has almost doubled since last month, rising six percentage points to 14% and becoming the fifth biggest issue for the country this month.

Economic Optimism Index

Ipsos’ Economic Optimism Index asks Britons whether they think the general economic condition of the country will improve, stay the same, or get worse over the next twelve months, and has been tracking the economic mood of Britons since 1978.  

The latest results show 10% think the economy will improve and 70% get worse, giving a net Ipsos Economic Optimism Index figure of -60 (the same as last month). 17% think there will be no change in the state of the economy over the next year.

The level of net economic optimism this month (fifteen months into Keir Starmer’s premiership) is the lowest recorded for a new Prime Minister at this stage, as negative as under Gordon Brown in September 2008 (-58).

Mike Clemence, Research Director at Ipsos said:

Immigration continues its reign as Britons’ pre-eminent concern with almost half seeing it as an important issue facing the country, well ahead of the economy or the NHS. This month we also see lack of faith in politicians and politics re-enter the top five biggest issues for Britain.

Similarly, economic optimism remains in the doldrums, with seven in ten Britons expecting the country’s economy to deteriorate in the coming year. This figure rises to nine in ten among those who support Reform UK.

Techinical note:

• Ipsos' Issues Index is the longest-running gauge of British public concerns. It is conducted monthly and has provided an overview of the key issues concerning the country for over 50 years. The answers are spontaneous responses, and participants are not prompted.
• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,002 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Ipsos’ telephone omnibus was used for this survey. Interviews were conducted between 1 – 7th October 2025. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.