Immigration

In this month's Issues Index for The Economist, we have recorded the highest ever concern about both poverty/inequality and low pay/fair wages.

Ipsos recently completed a survey of 500 young people living in India who are looking to study abroad, on behalf of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

In a month in which energy prices have dominated many of the headlines, a fifth of the public (19%) are now concerned about prices/inflation. This is an increase of 8 percentage points since September

Concern about defence/foreign affairs climbs to highest level since the Libyan crisis in April 2011, though the economy celebrates its fifth anniversary as the most important issue facing Britain.

Concern about the economy falls to the lowest point in five years as concern about race/immigration rises to meet it. Poverty and housing also rise in prominence.

Though the public are starting to be more optimistic about the economy, it is still an issue of great concern at this moment in time.

The highest level of concern about poverty/inequality that we have ever recorded as the gap between race/immigration and the economy narrows.

Just 11% now mention crime amongst the most important facing Britain, the lowest level of concern in over 20 years. Regularly throughout 2005-2008 crime and race/immigration alternated as the most important issues facing the country, but concern about crime has fallen steadily since then.

Though concern about the economy remains paramount there are indications that concern about poverty and welfare is on the increase.