Britain is facing a perfect storm of spiralling costs, NHS meltdown, and economic uncertainty – with shocking new figures revealing the full scale of public concern and financial despair gripping millions.
A major survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) lays bare the top issues keeping the nation awake at night.
Leading the list is the cost of living, with a staggering 87% of adults citing it as a major concern, followed closely by the NHS (83%), and the economy (72%).
Also high on the public’s worry list are housing (57%), immigration (51%), crime (49%), and climate change (42%).
Other issues reported include:
The environment (38%)
Education (31%)
Taxation (29%)
Unemployment (21%)
EU relations and Brexit (17%)
Defence and national security (14%)
Transport (12%)
Coronavirus (6%)
Other issues (4%)
The survey – Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: March 2025 – was conducted in the weeks before millions saw increases in “must pay bills” such as Council Tax, energy, mobile and broadband.
Two-thirds of adults (66%) said their cost of living has gone up in the past month—a figure that’s surged from just 45% last summer and now matches the worst levels seen in 2023.
For millions, it’s not just about cutting back on luxuries—it’s about survival.
More than one in five (23%) say they couldn’t afford an unexpected £850 expense. Among those in council housing or housing associations, that figure explodes to 66%. For single-parent households, it’s 64%.
One in 33 people (3%) said they had completely run out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more. That number rockets to 20% among single parents and 14% among council tenants.
Disabled adults were more likely to use less fuel (49%) and cut back on essentials (48%), compared with their non-disabled peers.
This figure comes against the background of moves by the government to slash billions from the welfare bill that will leave hundreds of thousands of people claiming sickness and disability benefits worse off.
Renters are nearly twice as likely as mortgage holders to have run out of food recently (10% vs 2%), and over four times more likely to have missed a bill (14% vs 3%).
Many people – especially those aged 30 to 49—are finding affording the essentials difficult. Nearly one in three in this age group say they couldn’t afford an emergency expense of £850, and 28% have had to borrow more money than usual just to get through the month.
The study found that households with a single parent and at least one child are:
* More likely to skip meals
* Far more likely to miss bills (27% compared with 4%)
* Almost three times more likely to use credit to cover essentials
Even among those who aren’t skipping meals or bills, the picture is grim: over a third (34%) of all adults say they won’t be able to save anything at all this year.
