What is a Londoner?
Ipsos survey of life in London
- Results are based on 1,221 interviews conducted by telephone with a sample of residents living in Greater London and those living outside of London and within the M25 motorway.
- Interviews were conducted between 17th March and 24th March 2004.
- Data are weighted by gender, age, work status, ethnicity and Inner versus Outer London and the borders of London to the known population profile.
- Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of 'don't know/not stated' response categories.
- Where there are small bases (less than 30 respondents) responses are given in absolute figures rather than percentage answers.
Living In London
Q1 Overall how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with living in your local area? Are you... Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Very satisfied | 25 | 23 | 39 |
| Fairly satisfied | 47 | 48 | 41 |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Fairly dissatisfied | 9 | 9 | 5 |
| Very dissatisfied | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Don't know | * | * | - |
Q2 Overall how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with living in London/the London area? Are you... Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Very satisfied | 25 | 25 | 22 |
| Fairly satisfied | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 12 | 12 | 9 |
| Fairly dissatisfied | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Very dissatisfied | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Don't know | 2 | 1 | 9 |
Q3 How long have you been living in London? Base: All respondents living in London (1,017)
| All | |
| % | |
| Up to 1 year | 3 |
| Over 1 year up to 2 years | 2 |
| Over 2 years up to 5 years | 7 |
| Over 5 years up to 10 years | 9 |
| Over 10 years up to 15 years | 8 |
| Over 15 years up to 20 years | 7 |
| Over 20 years or more | 28 |
| All my life/born in London | 33 |
| Don't know/Can't remember | 2 |
Q4 Have you ever lived in London? Base: All respondents living inside the M25 (204)
| All | |
| % | |
| Yes | 57 |
| No | 43 |
Q5 Where were you born? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| London | 42 | 43 | 32 |
| Outside London: | |||
| South East England | 10 | 8 | 27 |
| South England | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Midlands | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| The North | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Wales | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ireland | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Outside the UK: | |||
| Europe | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| Asia | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| North America (including Caribbean) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| South America | 1 | 1 | * |
| Australasia | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Africa | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| Refused | * | * | - |
Q6 And where were your parents born? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| Mother | Father | |||||
| All | London | Borders | All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Inside London | 30 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 33 |
| Outside London: | ||||||
| South East England | 7 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 14 |
| South England | 6 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Midlands | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| The North | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Wales | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Ireland | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Outside the UK: | ||||||
| Europe | 11 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 4 |
| Asia | 12 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
| North America (including Caribbean) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| South America | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | * |
| Australasia | 1 | * | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Africa | 8 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| Other | - | - | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| Don't know | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Refused | * | * | * | * | * | * |
Q7 For what reasons, if any, did you move to London? Base: All respondents not born in London (721), London (581), Borders (140)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Work reasons | 43 | 43 | 42 |
| Parents moved | 19 | 18 | 25 |
| Family reasons | 17 | 17 | 12 |
| Stayed on after university | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| Lively city | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Education/To study | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Refugee | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Personal reasons | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Better standard of living | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Religious reasons | 1 | * | 1 |
| Marriage | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Always lived here | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Diverse communities in London | * | * | - |
| Other | 5 | 5 | 8 |
Sense Of Belonging
Q8a I am now going to read out some statements. I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each of them. London is a place I like living in... Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 39 | 41 | 26 |
| Tend to Agree | 34 | 35 | 30 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 9 | 8 | 13 |
| Tend to disagree | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Strongly disagree | 8 | 7 | 14 |
| Don't know | 1 | * | 6 |
Q8b I am now going to read out some statements. I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each of them. London is a place I identify with... Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 40 | 40 | 37 |
| Tend to Agree | 35 | 36 | 29 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Tend to disagree | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Strongly disagree | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Q9 What, if anything, would you say are the two or three things that make you proud of London? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| The history/heritage | 21 | 20 | 37 |
| Cultural diversity | 16 | 16 | 14 |
| The people | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| The sights/attractions | 12 | 11 | 17 |
| Culture | 10 | 10 | 12 |
| Good public transport | 8 | 9 | 3 |
| Architecture/the buildings | 8 | 8 | 13 |
| Good shops | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Cosmopolitan | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Museums | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Lots to do | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Nightlife | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Job opportunities/employment | 4 | 4 | * |
| Theatres | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Parks/green space | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| The Royal family/Royalty | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Galleries | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Everything/the city as a whole | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Easy access/central to everything | 2 | 3 | * |
| Entertainment | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Facilities/amenities | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| I was born here | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| It's the capital city | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Education/university | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Restaurants/pubs | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Social life/lifestyle | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| The atmosphere/buzz | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Financial/business centre | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Freedom/freedom of speech | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Vibrant/lively | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| The underground/tube | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Clean | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| The music scene | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals/health service | 1 | 1 | * |
| The West End | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| The river | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nothing | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| Don't know | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Other | 15 | 16 | 10 |
Q10 What, if anything, would you say are the two or three things that you don't like about London? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Traffic/traffic congestion | 23 | 22 | 31 |
| High cost of living/too expensive | 20 | 21 | 15 |
| Crime | 19 | 20 | 15 |
| Public transport | 19 | 18 | 25 |
| Dirty | 18 | 18 | 21 |
| Overcrowded/crowds | 14 | 13 | 23 |
| Pollution | 12 | 11 | 17 |
| Rubbish/litter | 12 | 11 | 14 |
| Foreign immigrants/refugees | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Rudeness of people | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Congestion charge | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Too busy | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Underground/tube | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Noise | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Weather/climate | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Parking/traffic wardens | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Drug abuse | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Graffiti | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Ken Livingstone/The mayor | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| No community spirit/unfriendly | 1 | 1 | * |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Beggars | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lack of amenities for children/young people | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Shortage of affordable housing/high house prices | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Education/schools | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| The health service | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Racism | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Homelessness | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Threat of terrorism | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Poor housing | 1 | 1 | * |
| It's too big | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| State of roads/pavement | 1 | 1 | * |
| Nothing | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Other | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Being A Londoner
Q11 Which one of these, do you think best describes you? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| A Londoner | 30 | 31 | 15 |
| English | 23 | 21 | 42 |
| A British citizen | 31 | 31 | 29 |
| A European | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| None of these | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Don't know | * | * | 0 |
Q12 If you were to describe London to somebody, what words or phrases would you use? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Busy/a busy place | 18 | 17 | 21 |
| Lively/energetic/vibrant | 17 | 17 | 21 |
| Lots of places/attractions to see/visit | 15 | 15 | 19 |
| Cosmopolitan | 12 | 11 | 16 |
| Historical/lots of history | 11 | 10 | 19 |
| Lots to do | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Interesting | 10 | 10 | 14 |
| Big/large | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Expensive | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Exiting | 8 | 8 | 11 |
| A fun place to be/live | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Dirty | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Cultural | 6 | 6 | 11 |
| A beautiful place/city | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| A nice city | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Nice/friendly people | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Overcrowded | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Multi cultural | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| A great city/place | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Lots of crime/violence | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Lots of shops/good shops | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| The best city in the world | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Diverse | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Noisy/loud | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fast/hectic | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Good opportunity | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| It's a dump/dull/depressing/drab | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Good public transport | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Capital city | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Parks/green space | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Great nightlife | 1 | 2 | * |
| Unfriendly/cold people | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Good restaurants/eating | 1 | 1 | * |
| Poor public transport | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Don't know | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Other | 17 | 18 | 11 |
Q13 Some people say that people in London have a different outlook to people in the rest of the country. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 38 | 38 | 40 |
| Tend to agree | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Neither Agree nor Disagree | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Tend to Disagree | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Strongly Disagree | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Don't know | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Q14 Why do you think people in London have a different outlook to people in the rest of the country? Base: All who agree people in London have a different outlook (882), London (732), Borders (150)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Life is faster/busier/always in a rush | 23 | 23 | 21 |
| It's a different way of life | 16 | 16 | 22 |
| Its multicultural | 16 | 16 | 14 |
| They are not as friendly/they keep themselves to themselves | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| They think they are more superior | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Its cosmopolitan | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Higher cost of living | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| They are money oriented/have more money | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Broader/less narrow minded/more open minded | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| It's the capital city | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Everything happens in London | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| It's a big place | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| More facilities available | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| They are used to bigger salaries | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| People work harder/longer hours | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| They are nicer people | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| They do more commuting/travel further to work | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| They are not racist/less racist | 1 | 1 | - |
| Relaxed/laid back | 1 | 1 | - |
| Cultural | 1 | 1 | - |
| It's a city | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Don't know | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Other | 18 | 18 | 14 |
Q15a I am now going to read out a number of different statements. I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each of them. London, like Scotland and Wales, should have greater control over its affairs. Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 42 | 43 | 33 |
| Tend to agree | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Neither Agree nor Disagree | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Tend to Disagree | 10 | 9 | 16 |
| Strongly Disagree | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| Don't know | 6 | 6 | 4 |
Q15b I am now going to read out a number of different statements. I would like you to tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each of them. I would be happier about the taxes I pay to the Government if more were spent on improving public services for all Londoners. Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
| All | London | Borders | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly agree | 57 | 58 | 53 |
| Tend to agree | 25 | 25 | 23 |
| Neither Agree nor Disagree | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Tend to Disagree | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Strongly Disagree | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Q16 At the moment the Government spends less in London than it collects in taxes from London's businesses and residents, and spends the rest on other areas of the country. Some people believe that London should receive more of the money it contributes while others believe that other regions across the UK need the money more. Which of the following comes closest to your view? Base: All respondents (1,221), London (1,017), Borders (204)
