Foreword

Every year the Public Affairs team here at Ipsos takes a deep dive into a topic that has defined society and share with you, through our Understanding Society report, how it has impacted key aspects of our lives. We pull together key learnings from public opinion and research to draw out meanings for policymakers.

And this year, there is no doubt that the cost of living crisis has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on the daily lives of many Britons. Concerns about the economy and inflation have topped our Issues Index for most of the year as Britons wrestle with price rises on a scale we have not had to deal with for 40 years.

Alongside this, economic pessimism is widespread, mirroring the prolonged slump we saw in the 2008 economic crisis. The economy has now entered a period of recession, which is predicted by the Office of Budget Responsibilities (OBR) to be one of the longest.

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement aimed to calm nerves after the recent controversial mini-budget, but introduced a range of measures to increase tax revenues and reductions in public spending. The OBR now forecasts the biggest drop in living standards since the 1950s.  

As a society, we are understandably focusing on immediate pressures, like food, energy bills and rent, areas that have driven inflation to its highest level in four decades and that are affecting the daily lives of many.

But do we risk prolonging the crisis or worsening its long-term effects by neglecting other areas such as health, housing, and the environment?

In this edition of Understanding Society, we explore how the UK public is reacting to cost of living pressures, what policy solutions are being debated, and what government needs to consider both to alleviate the immediate pressures but also to achieve its longer-term goals. 

We also look at the differential impact on people living in remote areas, and the experiences of people in Northern Ireland who have not had a proper government for much of this year.

At Ipsos, we are committed to sharing our data and insights in the belief that a more holistic understanding of the issues we face can lead to better outcomes for our society, even during difficult times.

I hope you find our 2022 edition of Understanding Society interesting and useful, and please get in touch if you want to discuss any of our findings in more detail.

Trinh Tu
Managing Director, Public Affairs, Ipsos

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