Understanding Society: The Death of Polling?

‘The Death of Polling?’ may be a deliberately dramatic title to mark one year on from the UK General Election, but it’s fair to say it has not only changed the British political landscape, but has also shaken the polling industry. But are we alone in facing these challenges?

In this international edition of the Ipsos Social Research Institute’s Understanding Society publication, we examine the state of polling across the world.


Highlights of this edition include:

  • An interview with Professor Samuel Wang, founder of the Princeton Election Consortium website, who discusses why we need political forecasters and pollsters, the popularity of data journalism and why polling isn’t dead.
  • Expert contributions from journalist Ann Treneman, who takes us on the campaign trail, and Dr Rob Ford, one of the most prominent thinkers in this election, who dissects the rise of the insurgent parties.
  • The significance of social media: how UK politicians John Major and Ed Miliband got more mentions on Twitter than Kim Kardashian and One Direction.

Download

More insights about Public Sector

  • The New Resource: The Democratic Paradox at the Heart of the Critical Minerals Race
    Energy Ipsos Voices

    The New Resource: The Democratic Paradox at the Heart of the Critical Minerals Race

    Humans are natural storytellers. When we encounter something new and unsettling, our instinct is to reach into the past and pull out a narrative that makes it feel familiar. It is how we make sense of the world. It is also how we mislead ourselves.
  • ‘Liberation Day’ One Year Later
    Politics Ipsos Voices

    ‘Liberation Day’ One Year Later

    The economic sky ultimately didn’t fall further after the U.S. President’s global tariff announcement last April, but the Iran war may change all that, says Melissa Dunne.
  • President Donald Trump
    Politics Ipsos Voices

    One year into the Trump 2.0 era

    As President Donald Trump marks one year since his inauguration, Melissa Dunne takes a deep dive into how attitudes in, and towards, America have changed and what may come over the course of Trump’s second term.

Related news

  • The Human Advantage Conference 2026: Highlights
    Artificial Intelligence (AI) Events replay

    The Human Advantage Conference 2026: Highlights

    Ipsos is proud to support The Human Advantage 2026, a flagship event bringing together some of the world's leading experts and key industry figures to explore how behavioural science, AI, and human intelligence can address the critical challenges facing businesses and society. Here's a look back at two days of live coverage.
  • [WEBINAR] KEYS: Dialling Up the S In Sustainability
    KEYS Events replay

    [REPLAY] KEYS: Dialling Up the S In Sustainability

    In the next episode of our KEYS webinar, we’ll be asking whether now is the time when organisations should be ‘dialling up the S’ in their sustainability initiatives.
  • [Webinar] Real-World Evidence: Empowering the Patient
    Healthcare Webinar

    [Replay] Real-World Evidence: Empowering the Patient

    Patient voices are now central to regulatory, HTA and commercial decisions. But how do we move beyond tick-box engagement to evidence that truly reflects lived experience? Join our expert panel for a 360° perspective on making patient-centricity work in practice.