Britons have tougher views on immigration than Americans, study finds
British people have rather harsh attitudes towards immigration and are less inclined to believe that diversity strengthens society than their American counterparts, new research suggests.
These findings, from the National Center for Social Research, challenge the widespread perception that Britain is inherently more socially liberal than the United States.
The study specifically highlighted that Reform UK voters are more likely than supporters of President Donald Trump in the US to advocate the unauthorized deportation of immigrants residing in their country.
Seven in 10 supporters of Mr Trump felt that way, while among Reform supporters the figure was almost eight in 10 (79%).
The researchers said they wanted to “better understand how public attitudes in the UK compare with those in the US and the extent of polarization in the two countries.”
The poll found that 42 per cent of people in the UK think legal efforts should be made to deport immigrants living there without permission, compared to just a third (33 per cent) in the US.
While almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of US respondents think diversity strengthens society, only half (49 per cent) of the UK public agree.
Rates were similar for how open their country was to people from around the world; In the US, 63 per cent think it is essential for national identity, while in the UK only 49 per cent of people think so.
NatCen research director Alex Scholes said: “The idea that Britain is more socially liberal than America does not hold true on all counts.
“While the UK is clearly more liberal on issues related to family, sexuality and religion, attitudes towards immigration and diversity show the opposite pattern.
“People in the UK are less likely than those in the US to see diversity as a strength or to think that being open to people from other countries is essential to who we are as a nation. Our findings show that polarization in the two countries looks very different.”
“In the UK, the sharpest divisions are over immigration and national identity, in the US, over social issues and the role of government. These differences will shape political debates on both sides for years to come.”
People’s attitudes in the UK were found to be more liberal on issues such as abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage.
A majority of people in the UK (92 per cent) said the widespread availability of birth control was good for society, while in the US the figure was 78 per cent. While nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) in the UK thought it would be good for society for same-sex marriage to be legal, only a third (34 per cent) in the US said this.
In the UK, 86 percent of people think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while in the US less than two-thirds (63 percent) think so.
Reform voters in the UK had a more liberal view of abortion; 82 percent thought abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 35 percent of those who supported Mr. Trump.
– More than 2,000 UK residents aged 16 and over were surveyed in June 2025, and more than 8,000 US residents aged 18 and over were asked the same questions in April 2024. Both were weighted to represent the population of their respective countries.
