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Fact check: What percent of UK adults supported abolishing the monarchy in 2024?
Executive Summary
A clear single percentage for UK adults who supported abolishing the monarchy in 2024 does not exist because different reputable polls from 2024 measure related but distinct concepts and report divergent figures; some surveys from 2024 show about 15% explicitly favour abolition while other polling indicates roughly 22–23% think Britain would be better off without the monarchy, depending on question wording and timing. Reconciling these differences requires attention to which organisation ran the poll, the exact question asked (abolish vs. “better if abolished” vs. preferring an elected head of state), and the dates of fieldwork, all of which change the headline number [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Why one headline number isn’t enough — conflicting 15% versus 22–23% results
Multiple reputable polls from 2024 and early 2025 report different figures for anti-monarchy sentiment because they ask different questions and sample at different times. One reporting thread cites a 2024 National Centre for Social Research finding that 15% of UK adults support abolishing the monarchy, framed as a direct measure of abolition support [1]. Against that, Ipsos releases in September 2024 and April 2025 are summarised as showing 22–23% saying it would be better for Britain if the monarchy were abolished, which is a subtly different measure that captures perceived national benefit rather than personal support for abolition [3] [2]. Those distinctions in question wording — direct support for abolition versus judgement about national consequences — routinely shift reported percentages and explain why headlines using a single number can mislead [2] [4].
2. Different question framings produce different publics — ‘better if abolished’ vs ‘prefer elected head of state’
Pollsters also use alternative comparative questions that are not strict proxies for abolition. For example, YouGov’s January 2024 question asked whether respondents prefer the monarchy or an elected head of state; 31% expressed a preference for an elected head of state while 45% preferred the monarchy, with 24% unsure — this is not the same as actively supporting abolition, but it shows substantial openness to change in constitutional arrangements [4]. Savanta and other trackers show generational divides — under-45s increasingly favour an elected head of state — which indicates growing long-term pressure on royal support but does not equate directly to a 1:1 conversion into immediate abolition support [5]. The way pollsters phrase the trade-off or policy outcome substantially alters what counts as “support” in public-opinion terms [4] [5].
3. Timeline matters — opinion drift across 2024 into 2025
Public attitudes around the monarchy shifted through 2024 and into 2025, producing different snapshots: some late-2024 questions recorded higher proportions saying Britain would be better without the monarchy, while other datasets focusing on explicit abolition support report lower figures. For instance, a September 2024 Ipsos summary and a subsequent April 2025 Ipsos poll report around the low twenties (22–23%) for those saying abolition would be better for Britain, signalling either a rise in republican sentiment or sensitivity to events and sampling variation [3] [2]. Conversely, the National Centre for Social Research’s data used by commentators to describe record-low support for the monarchy places explicit abolitionists nearer to 15%, reflecting a different methodological approach and question framing [1] [2].
4. What the difference means for interpreting public sentiment and political risk
The gap between roughly 15% (explicit abolition support) and 22–23% (judgement that Britain would be better without the monarchy) is politically significant: it suggests a larger pool of people open to republican arguments than would immediately back legal abolition, meaning the constitutional question could become more salient over time even if immediate abolition lacks majority support. This distinction matters for policymakers and parties weighing whether to prioritise a debate: a plurality may prefer reform or an elected head of state in some subgroups (notably younger cohorts), but achieving a legislative change would require converting ambivalence into active majority support, a high bar under current public attitudes [1] [2] [5].
5. Historical, legal and polling context you shouldn’t overlook
Long-term trends show declining attachment to the monarchy: the British Social Attitudes series indicates support at historic lows and rising views that the monarchy is less important, shaping the background for short-term poll swings [6]. Historical legal factors — notably the Treason Felony Act 1848 and related laws discussed in republican literature — provide context on Britain’s complex relationship with overt republican advocacy, but legal prohibitions have not prevented robust public debate recorded in modern polling [7] [6]. Taken together, the best reading of the 2024 record is that explicit abolition support clustered around 15% in some measures while broader scepticism or preference for an elected head of state reached the low twenties, and both figures matter for understanding the trajectory of public opinion [1] [2] [6].