Less than half the nation is ‘proud to be British’ – and it is worse for Gen-Z
The survey by Demos also showed pride in Britain’s place in the world dropped from 35% to just 13%, and a collapse in pride in Parliament, dropping from 23% to -11%
People being proud to be a British citizen has fallen from 74% in 2011 to 47% in 2026(Image: Redferns via Getty Images)
Pride in being British has plummeted in the last 15 years, while pride in local communities has grown.
New polling by think tank Demos found being proud to be a British citizen has fallen from 74% in 2011 to 47% in 2026.
Pride in British history has fallen from 65% to 39%, with the drop even more severe amongst Gen Zs.
Between 2011 and 2026, net pride in British history fell dramatically from 54% to -4% among under 25s, whilst only falling modestly among over 65s (70% to 66%).
The survey also showed pride in Britain’s place in the world dropped from 35% to just 13%, a collapse in pride in Parliament, dropping from 23% to -11%, and pride in the monarchy plummeting from 54% to 25%.
However, pride in local communities actually increased from 29% to 40%, alongside a slight boost in neighbourhood trust. The new PM Andy Burnham has repeatedly discussed the importance of community, and vowed to give local people more of a say over what happens in the areas they call home.
The findings also revealed significant differences by deprivation. Just 18% of people living in the most deprived areas of the country said they are proud of British people, compared with 42% in the least deprived areas.
The findings form part of Demos’ new report, A Place for Pride 2026, which argues that Britain has experienced a growing disconnect which is fuelling a democratic emergency.
Polly Curtis, Chief Executive of Demos, said: “Our research shows that Britain hasn’t stopped feeling proud. People still feel deep pride in the places they live and the communities around them. What has eroded is their confidence in Britain as a whole.
“This isn’t about flag waving or nostalgia. It’s about whether people feel they belong, whether they feel they have a stake in the country’s future, and whether they believe the institutions that hold up our democracy are working for them.
“When people lose that sense of shared ownership over what makes Britain great, trust breaks down and our politics becomes more fragmented.
“If we want to strengthen democracy, we need to give people more opportunities to shape the places they live, rebuild confidence in our institutions and create a more inclusive national story that people from every part of the country can see themselves in.”
