Public support for the monarchy falls to historic low while calls for abolition start to rise

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has released new findings from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, showing how the public’s views towards the monarchy have shifted over the past four decades.

Support for the monarchy at its lowest level since records began

When the question was first asked in 1983, over four in five (86%) people in Britain said it was ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to continue having a monarchy. In 2024, around a half (51%) now take this view, the lowest level of support recorded since NatCen began tracking public opinion.

Meanwhile, the proportion who say the monarchy is ‘not very important’ or ‘not at all important’ has risen from one in ten (10%) in 1983 to around three in ten (31%) in 2024. Support for outright abolition of the monarchy has also grown, from just 3% in 1983 to 15% in 2024.

Monarchy versus elected head of state

For the first time, the BSA survey asked the public to choose between keeping the monarchy or replacing it with an elected head of state. A majority (58%) favour retaining the monarchy, while nearly four in ten (38%) would prefer an elected head of state.

But the data shows sharp divides across age, politics and identity:

• Generational divide: Almost six in ten (59%) of younger people aged 16–34 favour an elected head of state, whereas three-quarters (76%) of those aged 55+ support continuation of the monarchy.
• Political divide: 82% of Conservative supporters want to keep the monarchy, while Labour supporters are evenly split (49% for the monarchy vs 48% for an elected head of state). Support for an elected head of state is strong among Green (70%) supporters. Whereas 57% of Liberal Democrat and 77% of Reform UK supporters prefer to continue having a monarchy.
• Regional divide: A majority of people who identify as Scottish (59%) and Welsh (64%) favour an elected head of state, while support for the monarchy is strongest among those identifying as British (62%) or English (68%).

Support for the monarchy has not declined evenly over time. It rose sharply in 2011 and 2012, coinciding with the royal wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and her participation in the London Olympics. But since then, support has fallen steadily, with a brief rise following the death of HM The Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 before resuming its decline.

Alex Scholes, Research Director, National Centre for Social Research, said:
“British Social Attitudes has been tracking views on the monarchy for over 40 years, and the latest data show just how much opinion has shifted. Support for the monarchy is now at its lowest level since our records began, with more people than ever questioning its future. At the same time, when asked to choose directly, a majority of the public still prefer to keep the monarchy over moving to an elected head of state. This tension, between declining importance and continued preference, will be crucial in shaping debates about the monarchy’s role in the years ahead.”

For more information please contact:

Evie Coffey, Communications Manager at National Centre for Social Research
evie.coffey@natcen.ac.uk, 020 7549 8512.