Housing costs still a major concern for majority of UK adults

The cost of housing continues to be a major concern to the majority of adults in the UK, according to the latest social trends survey by the Office of National Statistics.   

It’s an equal or bigger concern than crime, immigration and international conflict.

When asked about the important issues facing the UK today, the most commonly reported issues were: the cost of living (87%), the NHS (86%) and the economy (70%); other commonly reported issues were climate change and the environment (61%), housing (55%), crime (55%), immigration (51%), and international conflict (50%).

Around 40% reported it was very or somewhat difficult to afford their rent or mortgage payments in the latest period; this proportion remains higher than when the ONS first asked about this in March 2022 (30% during the period 16 to 27 March 2022).

Around a third (34%) of those who pay energy bills reported it was very or somewhat difficult to afford them during this period; this proportion is lower than when the ONS first asked about this in March 2022 (43% during the period 16 to 27 March 2022).

The proportion of adults reporting international conflict as an important issue facing the UK increased from around a third in October 2023 (34% in the period 20 September to 1 October 2023), to around half (50%) by November 2023 (15 to 26 November 2023); this figure has generally remained similar since (50% in the latest period).

Older adults (62% among those aged 70 years and over) were more likely to report that international conflict was an important issue than younger adults (43% among those aged 16 to 29 years and 42% among those aged 30 to 49 years).

The proportion of adults reporting industrial action as an important issue facing the UK has gradually decreased since we first started asking about this in January 2023 (from 44% in the period 21 December 2022 to 8 January 2023, to 24% in the latest period).