How do attitudes toward sharia among UK-born muslims compare to recent immigrants over time?
Executive summary
Evidence from multiple UK polls shows that a substantial minority of British Muslims express support for “aspects” or limited implementations of sharia, but how that support breaks down between UK‑born and recent immigrant Muslims has shifted over time and varies by poll wording, age cohort and measure used (support for “aspects” versus full legal implementation) [1] [2] [3].
1. Historical baseline: sizable minority support but ambiguous targets
Large surveys going back to the 2000s regularly find that tens of percent of British Muslims endorse some form of sharia-related preference — for example Channel 4/ GfK NOP and Policy Exchange reporting figures in the 23–40% range depending on question framing [3] [4] [1]. Those questions are not uniform: some ask whether particular “provisions” or “aspects” of sharia should be available in Britain, while others ask about formal implementation of sharia law, and that variation materially affects reported levels of support [2] [4].
2. Age, birthplace and the polling puzzle: younger and British‑born sometimes show higher support
Several reports have flagged that younger cohorts and British‑born Muslims in some polls display equal or higher affinity for sharia‑related ideas than older, foreign‑born cohorts — a finding highlighted by the Henry Jackson Society’s analysis noting “extreme views” were more likely among the youngest cohort and British‑born respondents [5]. Policy Exchange and other commentators have also noted past polling in which younger Muslims were relatively more receptive to sharia, though Policy Exchange later suggested that the concept’s appeal had been “diminishing” among younger people as sharia became associated with extremist imagery [2] [1].
3. Contrasting evidence: older immigrants sometimes more supportive of specific provisions
Not every dataset points the same way: Policy Exchange’s coverage and reporting referenced by the National Secular Society found that nearly half of those over 55 supported some “provisions” of sharia in one survey, indicating higher endorsement among older cohorts in that measure [1]. This underscores that birthplace alone does not fully explain attitudes — age, religiosity, question wording and what respondents mean by “sharia” matter decisively [6].
4. How measurement shapes the narrative: “aspects” vs full law and media amplification
Scholars and journalists warn that headlines like “40% want sharia law” often conflate support for limited religious arbitration or moral principles with endorsement of a parallel legal system; Policy Exchange explicitly cautioned that question wording is significant and that only a minority “strongly supported” full introduction when phrasing was tightened [2] [4]. Fact‑checking reviews of older polls similarly show wide variation by question and year, and journalists have repeatedly flagged how selective reporting can amplify alarmist interpretations [3].
5. Interpretation and limits: no single, consistent longitudinal trend
Taken together, the reporting available points to complexity rather than a simple trajectory: some earlier polls suggested younger or British‑born Muslims were relatively more open to sharia‑based concepts, later analyses describe a diminishing appeal among younger cohorts, and other data show older or immigrant respondents endorsing specific provisions — all of which reflect different questions, samples and times [3] [2] [1]. There is a methodological gap: nationally representative, longitudinal panel data that tracks the same individuals from immigrant arrival through naturalisation and the next generations is not present in the sources provided, so definitive claims about long‑term change in attitudes by birthplace over time cannot be fully supported here [3] [2].
6. Bottom line for readers and policy watchers
The safest, evidence‑based conclusion is that a persistent minority of British Muslims favour some sharia‑related ideas, but whether UK‑born Muslims are more or less likely than recent immigrants depends on which cohort, which poll and which definition of “sharia” is used; some polls show British‑born or younger cohorts with higher support in certain measures, others show older or immigrant cohorts with higher support for particular provisions, and analysts warn that phrasing and media framing shape public perception [5] [1] [2] [3].