NatCen Opinion Panel: results and impact

Your continuing support of the NatCen Panel has revealed fascinating insights into our moral attitudes, generated important public debate about critical issues such as Brexit and led to numerous newspaper headlines.

As the UK emerges out of the COVID-19 pandemic and gets impacted by the global cost of living crisis, your participation in the Panel has been as important as ever. With your help, we’ve been able to build a vivid picture of the UK during these tumultuous times, from our experiences of consumer problems, to how we’re spending our time, to whether our political values have changed during this historic period. Read on for some research highlights.

Recent insights

How has the nation been spending their time during lockdown and beyond?

Based on your data, the ONS has been able to see how day-to-day life has changed over the course of the pandemic. The study found that in March 2020, when the UK first went into lockdown, Britons were spending less time travelling and working outside the home, and more time gardening, doing DIY and resting. A year on, it found that Britons were spending more time doing outdoor activities, instead of indoor ones, as well as socialising in person. This behavioural shift was largely related to changes in government restrictions as well as adapting to living in the pandemic. However, in March 2022 it found that, despite the majority of legal COVID-19 restrictions having ended, Britons were spending less time travelling and working outside the home than they had done prior to the pandemic (2014/2015), raising the possibility of a long-term shift in public behaviour. For more details see the full analyses here.

What is the true nature of problems experienced by consumers when buying things?

Thanks to your insights, we’ve been able to assess the actual extent of problems experienced by consumers when buying things. As part of a report for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, we found that 69% of consumers – roughly 36 million people – experienced at least one problem with an item or service they bought in the 12 months to April 2021, or bought and used during that period. These problems are estimated to have had a net monetised cost of £54.2 billion to UK consumers. COVID-19 looks to have had an impact, with consumers feeling that 43% of their incidents of consumer detriment had been affected in some way by the pandemic. For more findings see the study report here.

What do Britons think about the 2016 vote to leave the EU?

Sir John Curtice has published a report exploring what the public thinks about Brexit, based on NatCen Panel data collected over the past five years. Thanks to your help, he has been able to assess whether the UK is still content with the decision made in June 2016 to leave the EU. The data reveals that, 5 years on from the referendum, few voters have changed their mind about their vote. Over four in five (82%) say they would vote the same way again. In a repeat of the 2016 vote, 53% would vote to remain and 47% would vote to leave. But if there was a vote on whether to re-join the EU, only 48% would vote to re-join and 52% would vote to stay out. On this issue, the country continues to be divided down the middle. For more see the full report here.

Other fascinating insights

We have also collected data from June 2021 about social and moral attitudes.

Generally speaking…
Most people can be trusted 48% You can’t be too careful in dealing with people 52%.

A man and woman having sexual relations before marriage is…
Always wrong 6% Mostly wrong 4% Sometimes wrong 9% Rarely wrong 10% Not wrong at all 71%.

For some crimes, the death penalty is the most appropriate sentence…
Agree strongly 19% Agree 23% Neither agree nor disagree 17% Disagree 19% Disagree strongly 21%.

There is one law for the rich and one for the poor…
Agree strongly 29% Agree 37% Neither agree nor disagree 20% Disagree 12% Disagree strongly 2%.

News coverage of the NatCen Panel  

Here are just a few of the most recent newspaper headlines that have been written about the NatCen Panel.

See the findings   

Here are some recent reports that’ve been written, based on the questions you’ve answered.

  • BSA39 – Public attitudes to the environment

Is concern over the environment increasing? Has climate change become our main area of concern? And are we willing to pay to help protect the environment? Find out what the public thinks on these and more here.

  • Society Watch 2022 - Anxious Britain

How worried are we in 2022? NatCen has tracked levels of worry in ‘life areas’ such as health, relationships and money since early 2018. Find out if levels of worry among the British public, including among men and women, have changed since then here.

  • Coronavirus and Public Attitudes

The COVID-19 pandemic represented one of the greatest social, economic and health crises of our lifetimes. Find out whether this historic event had an impact on the political attitudes and values of Britons here.

  • Wellcome Monitor 2020: COVID-19 Study

For most, the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic were a deeply uncertain and chaotic time. Click here to find out more about the public’s experience of this period – including their views on restrictions, prevention measures, keeping safe and which sources of information they could trust.