National pride has also declined.
Public perceptions of division in the UK have reached their highest level since 2020, with 84 per cent of people saying the country feels divided.
The findings come from new research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London and Ipsos, highlighting growing unease about national unity.
The study reveals that more Britons than ever believe the country is being torn apart by “culture wars”.
According to the report, 67 per cent of respondents think the UK is divided by culture wars, up from 46 per cent in 2020 and 54 per cent in 2023.
Half of those surveyed said the nation’s culture is changing too fast, compared with 35 per cent five years ago.
Almost half, at 48 per cent, also said they would prefer the country to be the way it used to be, rising sharply from 28 per cent in 2020.
The survey of 4,027 adults, conducted in August 2025, found that 64 per cent now see culture wars as a serious problem for UK society and politics.
This marks a steady increase from 52 per cent in 2023 and 44 per cent in 2020.
Those who strongly agree with this view have doubled in two years, growing from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.
Public sentiment suggests that many blame both politicians and the media for deepening divisions.
Sixty per cent of respondents believe politicians exaggerate or invent culture wars for political gain, while 66 per cent think the media makes the country seem more divided than it actually is.
These findings underline the public’s growing distrust of political and media narratives.
The study also highlights rising social tension, with 86 per cent perceiving friction between immigrants and people born in the UK, up from 74 per cent in 2023.
However, divisions over Brexit appear to be softening.
While 52 per cent still feel tension between Leavers and Remainers, this is significantly lower than the 78 per cent recorded in 2020.
National pride has also declined, with only 46 per cent of Britons now saying they feel proud of their country, compared with 56 per cent five years ago.
This drop reflects an overall decline in optimism and confidence about the nation’s direction.
Views on social issues have shifted notably as well.
The proportion who believe transgender rights have gone too far has more than doubled since 2020, rising from 17 per cent to 39 per cent.
At the same time, there is still no clear public consensus on the issue, suggesting a deepening divide rather than resolution.
Professor Bobby Duffy, Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said the findings reveal “a frightening increase in the sense of national division and decline in the UK in just a few years”.
He added that the data shows a sharp rise in the belief that the country is divided and that things were better in the past.
Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos, noted that “continued global and domestic disruption and fragmentation” are reflected in the results.
He explained that the study demonstrates how the culture wars narrative is intensifying across British society.
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