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Fact check: Which UK age groups are most likely to support abolishing the monarchy?
Executive Summary
Younger Britons are consistently the age cohort most likely to support abolishing the monarchy: multiple polls across 2022–2025 show markedly higher pro-abolition figures among people under 35, with the strongest opposition to the monarchy concentrated in the under‑25 and 16–34 brackets. Recent surveys indicate a generational shift rather than sudden change — support for abolition among teenagers and young adults ranges from roughly one quarter to over four in ten depending on pollster and exact age band, while majorities or pluralities of older cohorts favour keeping the monarchy [1] [2] [3].
1. Why the youngest voters show the sharpest appetite for abolition
Across the datasets provided, the strongest pro-abolition signals come from the youngest groups. A 2025 Survey by the National Centre for Social Research found 59% of 16–34-year-olds favour an elected head of state, contrasting with 76% of people aged 55-plus backing continuation of the monarchy, which frames the divide as about institutional preference rather than raw hostility to royal individuals [4]. Earlier YouGov and SurveyMonkey figures amplify the pattern: a 2022 YouGov finding reported 40% of those under 25 want abolition, while SurveyMonkey in 2025 put support among under‑35s at 35% [1] [3]. These repeated, independent signals point to younger cohorts being the most likely to support abolishing the monarchy.
2. How big the generational gap really is — different polls, different magnitudes
Polls disagree on the exact magnitude of youth support for abolition because they use different age bands, question wording, and sampling frames, but the direction is consistent. YouGov’s 2023 cross‑tabs showed only 30% of 18–24-year-olds saying the monarchy is “good for Britain” versus 77% of over-65s, while Ipsos and SurveyMonkey put 18–34 or under‑35 backing for abolition in the low‑to‑mid 30% range; conversely, British Social Attitudes reports more modest overall abolition figures (around 16%) because it samples the whole population and records many older respondents who favour the institution [5] [6] [7]. Net effect: younger people are multiple percentage points more likely to favour abolition than older people, but reported levels vary by poll design.
3. Trendline: long‑term decline in monarchical support, concentrated among youth
Comparing date-stamped polls shows a sustained downward trajectory in broad public enthusiasm for the monarchy since the early 2020s, with the steepest declines appearing among younger cohorts. British Social Attitudes and National Centre for Social Research work document historic lows for overall perceived importance of the monarchy in 2023–2025, and the NCSSR’s 2025 headline finding that support is “at its lowest level since records began” coincides with the high preference among 16–34s for an elected head of state [4] [7]. Younger people’s higher abolition support contributes disproportionately to this downward trend in aggregate measures, even as older age groups remain more favourable.
4. Interpreting differences: question wording, age bands, and political context matter
The datasets illustrate that methodological choices drive headline differences: asking people whether they want an “elected head of state” produces different response dynamics than asking whether the monarchy should be “abolished”, and grouping respondents as 16–34, under‑25, or 18–24 changes the apparent strength of youth sentiment [4] [1] [2]. Political context and timing also matter: polls conducted after high‑profile royal controversies or during milestones see temporary shifts in sentiment, while longer‑running surveys like British Social Attitudes capture gradual change and often report lower outright abolition figures because older cohorts dominate the sample [7]. Thus, comparisons require careful attention to phrasing and timing.
5. Bottom line: which UK age groups are most likely to support abolition — and what’s left unsaid
Synthesis of the evidence shows that people under 35 — particularly those under 25 and the 16–34 bracket — are the cohorts most likely to back abolishing the monarchy, with support ranging roughly from the mid‑20s to around 40% depending on poll and year [2] [1] [3]. Caveats remain: polling variation, the gap between preferring an elected head of state and actively wanting abolition, and the influence of short‑term events mean the picture is not uniform [4] [6]. Policymakers and commentators should treat youth pro‑abolition figures as a clear signal of generational divergence, not as immediate evidence of a majority mandate for constitutional change [5] [7].