Twenty-one percent of Britons named immigration as their country's top concern in 2025, the highest share recorded anywhere in the world, according to Gallup's inaugural World's Most Important Problem report. The figure ties with mentions of the economy (23%) and stands more than twenty times the global median of 1% across 107 countries surveyed.

How does the UK compare with the rest of the world?

Only six other countries have at least one in ten adults naming immigration as their top concern:

• Netherlands: 13%
• Cyprus: 13%
• Portugal: 12%
• Malta: 12%
• Ireland: 11%
• Dominican Republic: 11%

Immigration does not lead the issue list in any of those nations.

The gap between UK concern and objective migration levels is striking. Britain has a similar share of foreign-born residents (17%) as the United States (15%), Norway (18%) and the Netherlands (16%), but adults in those countries cite immigration far less often as their biggest worry.

Has migration actually risen in the UK?

Net migration has fallen sharply. Office for National Statistics (ONS) provisional estimates put net migration at 204,000 in the year ending June 2025, down from nearly 650,000 in the year ending June 2024.

The years after Brexit saw a significant rise in net migration and non-EU arrivals, driven by policy changes under the previous Conservative government. Even with numbers now declining, the cumulative spike and sustained media coverage of small boat crossings, migrant hotels and migration reforms appear to have left a mark on public opinion.

Who is most concerned?

Reform UK supporters drive most of the anxiety. Almost half (48%) name immigration as Britain's biggest problem, twice the share among supporters of any other major party across Europe. Reform UK scores 9.2 on the Chapel Hill Expert Survey's left-right scale, placing it firmly on the right.

Conservative supporters register 23% and Labour supporters 16%. Both figures outpace ideologically aligned parties elsewhere in Europe. Among the politically unaligned, 25% of UK adults name immigration as the top issue, roughly double the next-highest share among nonpartisans in Poland and Ireland (13% each).

Supporters of the Brothers of Italy and the National Rally in France name economic issues more often than immigration. Backers of Vox in Spain and the Slovenian Democratic Party cite political concerns. Fidesz supporters in Hungary prioritise safety and security.

What drives concern about immigration in the UK?

Gallup's regression analysis identified five predictors of immigration concern among Britons:

• Support for Reform UK, the strongest single driver
• Political non-affiliation, which raises concern above the UK average
• Age 55 and older, with older adults far more worried than younger ones
• Lower educational attainment (below tertiary level)
• Subjective income status, with those "getting by" more concerned than those living comfortably or in acute hardship

Gender, employment status, urban versus rural residence, personal wellbeing and actual household income show no statistically significant link to immigration worry once other variables are controlled for.

The disconnect between subjective and objective economic position stands out. People who describe themselves as "getting by" prioritise immigration more than those in genuine hardship, suggesting concern peaks among those who feel their finances could improve, not those in poverty.

Are Britons still accepting of individual migrants?

Yes, historical polling suggests so. Between 2016 and 2023, Gallup asked UK adults three questions about migrant acceptance on four occasions. By 2023:

• 80% viewed immigrants living in the UK as a good thing
• 79% were comfortable with an immigrant as a neighbour
• 75% accepted an immigrant marrying a close relative

The acceptance figures match those recorded in the Netherlands, Portugal and Ireland, where concern levels are also notable. The findings suggest Britons distinguish between personal attitudes toward individual migrants and broader worries about migration levels, system capacity and policy implementation.

What does this mean for British politics?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a balancing act as he seeks to close Reform UK's lead in the polls. Nigel Farage's party holds few parliamentary seats but has set the political agenda for months and attracted several high-profile Conservative defections this year.

Local elections loom first. High turnout among Reform supporters and the politically unaligned, with immigration top of mind, could create headwinds for the current government, even though the next general election remains years away.