Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: What percentage of the UK population supports the abolition of the monarchy?
Executive Summary
Public polling repeatedly indicates that around 15–16% of the British public currently favor outright abolition of the monarchy, while a declining majority—roughly half—still consider the monarchy important. The most recent National Centre for Social Research (British Social Attitudes) findings cited in September 2025 put 15% in favour of abolition and 51% saying it is “very” or “quite” important to retain the monarchy, marking the lowest recorded level of importance since such tracking began [1]. This analysis extracts the key claims from the supplied materials, compares datasets and dates, highlights framing differences across outlets, and flags methodological and contextual caveats for interpreting the 15% figure.
1. What the claim actually says and where it comes from — a simple extraction that matters
The central claim under scrutiny is explicit: approximately 15% of people in the UK support abolishing the monarchy. That figure appears in multiple summaries of the National Centre for Social Research’s British Social Attitudes series, cited in September 2025 reporting and also echoed in earlier 2024 summaries that record similar levels [1] [2] [3] [4]. The materials show consistent repetition of the 15% figure across several news outlets, indicating a common reliance on the same underlying survey data. The claim is therefore not a single outlier statistic but a recurring headline number in the supplied dataset, and it functions as a succinct snapshot of republican sentiment as measured in the cited British Social Attitudes work.
2. What the surveys say in detail — the numbers behind the headline matter
The supplied summaries indicate two linked statistics: 15% supporting abolition, and about half of respondents (50–54%) saying it is “very” or “quite” important to keep the monarchy, with the 51% figure cited specifically in September 2025 reporting [1] [4]. A 2024 press release from the same research body recorded 16% favouring abolition, demonstrating small year-to-year movement but a clear downward trend in perceived importance of the monarchic institution [4]. These dual measures—support for abolition and perceived importance of the monarchy—are distinct attitudes and both should be cited together to avoid conflating passive low enthusiasm with active desire for constitutional change.
3. The longer trend: decline in support framed against historical highs and lows
Reporters emphasize historical decline: comparisons mention support for keeping the monarchy falling from 86% in 1983 to roughly half in recent years, a framing repeated in 2025 coverage that calls current importance levels a historic low [2] [1] [3]. The supplied material thus situates the 15% abolition figure within a broader multi-decade erosion of attachment to the monarchy, especially among younger cohorts according to the 2024 release. The trend narrative is consistent across the supplied summaries and underscores that the 15% is part of a larger pattern rather than an isolated spike, but the materials also show modest year-to-year variation (15% vs 16%) that cautions against overinterpreting any single-point change.
4. How different outlets frame the same data — cues of emphasis and potential agendas
Coverage from outlets in the supplied set frames the findings differently: some stress the symbolic shock of a historic low in perceived importance, while others highlight that “most British people still support the monarchy” despite declines [3]. This divergence reflects editorial choices: one framing amplifies republican momentum by foregrounding the 15% abolition figure, the other preserves institutional legitimacy by noting that a plurality still values the monarchy. Both frames rely on the same empirical base (British Social Attitudes) but select different comparative anchors—historical high vs contemporary majority—to shape the takeaway. Readers should note that emphasis on decline or resilience can signal an outlet’s narrative priorities rather than different empirical claims.
5. Caveats, representativeness and what’s omitted — why 15% doesn’t tell the whole story
The supplied analyses do not include methodological details such as sample size, weighting, question wording, or demographic breakdowns, which are essential for assessing the precision and representativeness of the 15% abolition figure [1] [4]. The materials hint that younger people are less pro-monarchy, but lack full cross-tabulation by age, region or political identity—omissions that matter for forecasts of future change. Additionally, small differences between 15% and 16% across dates suggest measurement noise and short-term fluctuation. Without the full questionnaire and margins of error, the 15% number should be treated as a robust headline estimate from a reputable survey series, but not as a definitive prediction of near-term institutional change.
6. Bottom line for readers and communicators — the practical takeaways
The supplied evidence consistently supports the headline that about 15% of the UK populace supports abolition of the monarchy, with roughly half still endorsing its continued importance, and a clear historical decline in attachment since the 1980s [1] [4]. This dual fact—modest active republicanism amid falling passive support—matters for interpreting political momentum: it signals growing openness to republican arguments without indicating widespread immediate demand for constitutional overhaul. Communicators should therefore present the 15% as a reliable, recently observed statistic from the National Centre for Social Research while also contextualizing it within the broader trend and noting methodological gaps in the supplied summaries.