Britons More Likely Than Citizens Anywhere Else to Name Immigration as Their Top Concern
New global polling shows the United Kingdom leads the world in public concern about migration, fuelled by domestic political debates and media focus
A new global survey of public opinion reveals that people in the United Kingdom are more likely than those in any other country to cite immigration as the most pressing national problem, even as official figures show net migration into the UK has been falling.
In 2025, just over one in five adults in Britain named immigration as the top national issue, a markedly higher share than in most countries, where concern about migration rarely registers at similar levels among the public.
By contrast, a median of just one per cent of respondents across more than one hundred surveyed countries identified immigration as the single most important problem facing their country.
The high salience of migration as a national issue in Britain is driven in part by sustained media attention on irregular Channel crossings, asylum system backlogs and proposed changes to immigration policy by the UK government.
Although estimated net migration declined to about two hundred and four thousand in the year ending June 2025 from significantly higher levels the previous year, the prominence of migration in public discourse appears to have kept concern elevated.
Supporters of Reform UK, a right-of-centre political party leading many national voting intention polls, are especially likely to view immigration as the country’s most important problem, with nearly half saying it tops their list of concerns, a rate higher than that of supporters of comparable parties elsewhere in Europe.
Concern about immigration also extends beyond party loyalists.
Conservative Party supporters and Labour Party supporters in Britain are more inclined than voters for similarly aligned parties in other European democracies to regard immigration as a top issue.
Even among politically unaligned adults, one in four Britons names migration as the biggest challenge facing the country.
By comparison, Europe’s next highest levels of concern about immigration appear in the Netherlands, Cyprus, Portugal, Malta, Ireland and the Dominican Republic, where only about one in ten adults prioritise the issue.
Experts say the striking gap between the UK and other nations points to the unique conjuncture of recent political debates, high levels of press coverage on migration and contentious legislative proposals, including plans to tighten asylum and settlement rules.
While global public opinion generally prioritises issues such as the economy, jobs and safety over migration, in Britain the pattern is reversed, underscoring how national context and political narratives can elevate particular issues in the public mind.
The new data suggest that, for the first time in recent history, migration is consistently at the forefront of British public concern, even as demography and policy evolve.
The survey underscores how public sentiment can diverge from underlying trends, and highlights the importance of political leadership in framing migration policy amid other competing national priorities.
With annual net migration figures expected to be updated soon by the Office for National Statistics, policymakers will be closely watching whether public concern continues to outpace other issues in the year ahead.
In 2025, just over one in five adults in Britain named immigration as the top national issue, a markedly higher share than in most countries, where concern about migration rarely registers at similar levels among the public.
By contrast, a median of just one per cent of respondents across more than one hundred surveyed countries identified immigration as the single most important problem facing their country.
The high salience of migration as a national issue in Britain is driven in part by sustained media attention on irregular Channel crossings, asylum system backlogs and proposed changes to immigration policy by the UK government.
Although estimated net migration declined to about two hundred and four thousand in the year ending June 2025 from significantly higher levels the previous year, the prominence of migration in public discourse appears to have kept concern elevated.
Supporters of Reform UK, a right-of-centre political party leading many national voting intention polls, are especially likely to view immigration as the country’s most important problem, with nearly half saying it tops their list of concerns, a rate higher than that of supporters of comparable parties elsewhere in Europe.
Concern about immigration also extends beyond party loyalists.
Conservative Party supporters and Labour Party supporters in Britain are more inclined than voters for similarly aligned parties in other European democracies to regard immigration as a top issue.
Even among politically unaligned adults, one in four Britons names migration as the biggest challenge facing the country.
By comparison, Europe’s next highest levels of concern about immigration appear in the Netherlands, Cyprus, Portugal, Malta, Ireland and the Dominican Republic, where only about one in ten adults prioritise the issue.
Experts say the striking gap between the UK and other nations points to the unique conjuncture of recent political debates, high levels of press coverage on migration and contentious legislative proposals, including plans to tighten asylum and settlement rules.
While global public opinion generally prioritises issues such as the economy, jobs and safety over migration, in Britain the pattern is reversed, underscoring how national context and political narratives can elevate particular issues in the public mind.
The new data suggest that, for the first time in recent history, migration is consistently at the forefront of British public concern, even as demography and policy evolve.
The survey underscores how public sentiment can diverge from underlying trends, and highlights the importance of political leadership in framing migration policy amid other competing national priorities.
With annual net migration figures expected to be updated soon by the Office for National Statistics, policymakers will be closely watching whether public concern continues to outpace other issues in the year ahead.
