A three-way tie between inflation, the NHS and the economy as the biggest issues facing Britain

• Just under a third of Britons name either inflation and prices, the NHS, or the economy as one of the biggest issues facing the country
• Six-point drop in concern about immigration since December: a quarter mention this as a big concern
• Jump in concern about defence and foreign affairs; on 14% it reaches the highest level since July 2022

The January 2024 Ipsos Issues Index shows economic and healthcare issues at the top of public concern.

Just over three in ten name one of inflation (32%), the NHS (31%) and the economy (31%) as one of the biggest issues facing the country.

Priorities vary between different groups: inflation is the biggest issue for younger people (42% among 18-34s), Labour party supporters and people from ethnic minority backgrounds (both 41%), those from social grades ABC1 are more likely to mention the NHS (39%), while the economy is cited more frequently by men (37%) and those living in rural areas (38%).

Elsewhere in the top ten there has been a drop in the proportion concerned about immigration. Almost a quarter see it as one of the biggest issues for the country (23%), down six points from December 2023. However it remains the next-biggest issue after the top three, with almost four in ten Conservative Party supporters (36%) mentioning it as a concern.

The proportion mentioning defence and foreign affairs issues as a big concern for Britain has doubled this month to 14%, which is the highest score recorded since July 2022, in the early months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fieldwork for this wave was between 10 and 16 January, covering the period that the UK and US first conducted airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.

Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said:

We start this election year with public concern split between economic and healthcare issues, while immigration is an intense worry for a smaller subset of Britons. Whenever the vote is held, it is likely that these will still be top of the public mind.

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 1,008 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 10 and 16 January 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.