Immigration Tops List of British Public’s Biggest Worries
Immigration has surged to the top of British public concerns with 41 percent naming it a critical issue in May 2026 polling, while economic pessimism remains near record lows.
The Ipsos Issues Index for May shows 41 percent of respondents identified immigration as an important issue confronting Britain, according to Brussels Signal. That represents a nine-point jump from April and returns the issue to levels recorded earlier this year.
Immigration also ranked as the single most pressing concern, with 22 percent of those surveyed naming it their top worry.
The economy placed second at 34 percent, a figure that has remained largely static over the past month. Inflation came third at 25 percent, down five points since April.
The National Health Service registered as the fourth-biggest concern at 22 percent, while anxiety about defense and foreign affairs dropped 10 points to 15 percent.
Sharp Divisions Across Demographics
Concern over immigration varied dramatically across different segments of the British population. Support reached 83 percent among backers of the right-wing Reform UK party, followed by 52 percent among those aged 55 and older and 47 percent among citizens in lower social grades.
Economic Pessimism Deepens
The polling also revealed profound pessimism about Britain’s economic trajectory. Ipsos’ Economic Optimism Index found just 9 percent of Britons believe the economy will improve over the next 12 months, while 73 percent expect deterioration.
That produced a net score of minus 64, an improvement from the previous month’s record low of minus 72 but still far below the long-term average of minus 18.
Ipsos noted the figure matches some of the bleakest economic periods in recent British history, including the 1980 recession, the 2008 financial crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis that followed the invasion of Ukraine.
The polling firm added that net economic optimism measured 22 months into Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s tenure stands as the lowest on record for any prime minister at that stage of their leadership.
Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said immigration had reclaimed its prime position among public concerns, though Britons remain deeply pessimistic about economic prospects.
Skinner noted that attention has now shifted to the upcoming by-election in Makerfield in northwest England, where local sentiment broadly mirrors national trends.
The polling was conducted between May 6 and 12, 2026, based on telephone interviews with 1,003 adults aged 18 and over across Great Britain. Responses were given spontaneously without prompting.
With information from Brussels Signal
