Fact check: Are there any notable differences in ethnonationalist attitudes between younger and older generations in the UK?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal significant generational differences in ethnonationalist attitudes across the UK, with younger generations consistently showing less traditional patriotic sentiment and more progressive social values.

Scottish Independence: The most striking difference appears in Scotland, where 70% of those born between 1999 and 2007 support independence, compared to only 37% of those born before 1958 ^[1]. This represents a dramatic 33-percentage-point gap between the youngest and oldest cohorts.

Welsh Independence: Similar patterns emerge in Wales, where 72% of 25-34-year-olds support independence ^[2], though the source notes this support may be driven more by practical governance concerns than traditional nationalism.

British Patriotism: Across the UK, younger people demonstrate markedly lower patriotic sentiment, with only 15% of 18-24-year-olds considering themselves 'very patriotic' compared to nearly half of those over 60 ^[3]. Additionally, less than half of young people are proud to be British, and nearly half believe the country is racist ^[4].

Social Values: Younger generations show greater concern for social issues such as racism, sexism, and LGBT+ rights, and are more likely to support diversity and inclusivity ^[5]. This reflects broader generational divisions over social values, with younger people being more socially liberal while older generations remain more socially conservative ^[6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses provide limited context on several important factors:

Economic vs. Cultural Motivations: While the Welsh independence data suggests practical governance concerns rather than pure nationalism drive younger support ^[2], the analyses don't adequately explore whether economic factors, housing costs, or employment prospects might influence younger generations' attitudes toward national identity and independence movements.

Regional Variations: The data focuses heavily on Scotland and Wales but provides insufficient information about regional differences within England or how ethnonationalist attitudes vary between urban and rural areas across different age groups.

Historical Context: The analyses lack discussion of major historical events that may have shaped different generational perspectives, such as the impact of Brexit, the 2008 financial crisis, or recent social movements on younger versus older cohorts' relationship with national identity.

Ethnic Minority Perspectives: While one source mentions voting patterns among ethnic minority groups ^[7], there's insufficient analysis of how generational differences in ethnonationalist attitudes vary within different ethnic communities in the UK.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and appropriately framed as an inquiry rather than making specific claims. However, there are potential areas where bias could emerge in interpretation:

Definitional Clarity: The question uses "ethnonationalist attitudes" without clear definition, which could lead to conflating different concepts like civic nationalism, ethnic nationalism, patriotism, and independence movements. The analyses show these distinctions matter, as Welsh independence support appears more governance-focused than ethnically motivated ^[2].

Assumption of Uniformity: The question implies generational attitudes can be treated as monolithic, potentially overlooking significant variation within age cohorts based on education, geography, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Temporal Bias: Without specifying timeframes, the question risks treating current generational differences as permanent rather than potentially evolving attitudes that may change as younger cohorts age or as political circumstances shift.

The analyses suggest these generational differences are real and substantial, but they also indicate the picture is more nuanced than simple age-based divisions, with practical concerns about governance and social justice playing important roles alongside traditional concepts of national identity.