Ipsos Issues Index: Public concern about COVID-19 continues to fall

• Thirty-seven per cent of Britons say the coronavirus is one of the biggest issues facing the country, down from 40% in August
• The proportion concerned about the NHS and social care both rise significantly
• Environmental concern also drops but it remains a top-five issue for Britain

The September 2021 Ipsos Issues Index shows a further drop in public concern about COVID-19. This month, 37% see mention the pandemic as a big issue for Britain, down slightly from 40% in August. The proportion who see COVID-19 as the biggest issue facing the country has fallen further, from 26% in August to 21% in September. Fieldwork was between 3 and 9 September, before recent reports of issues with fuel supply in the country.

Concern about both the NHS and social care has risen significantly this month. Thirty per cent mention the health service as one of the biggest issues for the country, up nine percentage points since August. The proportion mentioning social care has also risen by nine percentage points, but from a lower base – just 12 per cent mention it this month.

The proportion who mention the environment and climate change has dropped by nine percentage points compared with August, with just under a quarter of the country mentioning it as a big issue (23%). However, this is still one of the highest scores for this issue since it was first included in this survey, in 1989.

Age is an important factor in the extent to which people are likely to see different issues as important for the country

• Older people are more likely than average to say that the NHS, immigration and social care are big issues, while those in the middle age group are especially concerned about COVID-19
• Younger people are more likely than average to see poverty/inequality and housing as big issues for Britain
• Some issues show no difference between the generations; this includes concern about the environment and the economy

Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said:

“We have seen a further, small, drop in the proportion who say the COVID-19 pandemic is a big issue for the country this month. Although it is still the biggest issue for the country it would appear that many have started to shift their concerns to other topics like the NHS and social care”

Technical note

Ipsos's Issues Index is conducted monthly and provides an overview of the key issues concerning the country. Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,010 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. The answers are spontaneous responses, and participants are not prompted with any answers.
Ipsos's telephone omnibus was used for this survey. Interviews were conducted between 3 and 9 September 2021 across Great Britain. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.