More than four in five adults in Great Britain said climate change had affected them in at least one way over the previous year, a new official survey has found. The proportion was 85%, compared with 74% when the question was last asked in September and October 2025 and 66% in October 2024.
The figures come from a survey covering July to September 2026. They record what respondents said they had experienced, rather than a scientific attribution of particular weather events to climate change. The most frequently reported effects were heatwaves, cited by 78% of adults, drought by 40% and wildfires by 26%.
The results also show that climate and environmental issues were prominent in public opinion. Three in five adults, or 60%, named them as an important issue facing the UK. In London the figure was 67%, one of the highest regional proportions reported.
Londoners were also among those most likely to anticipate future effects. Ninety-three per cent of adults in the capital expected to be affected in at least one of the ways asked about over the next ten years. Across Great Britain, 89% expected at least one such effect. Increased temperatures were the most commonly anticipated impact nationally, followed by water shortages and more wildfires.
The findings were collected during a summer provisionally identified as the hottest on record for the UK. That timing may have shaped people’s perceptions and experiences. The survey therefore offers a snapshot of reported attitudes and experiences during a period of unusually hot weather, not proof that each respondent’s reported experience was caused by climate change.
Views and actions
Almost four in five adults, 78%, said they were very or fairly concerned about biodiversity loss in the UK. Concern was higher among women than men and among adults with a degree or equivalent qualification than among those with no qualifications.
Three-quarters of adults said they had made at least some lifestyle changes to help tackle environmental issues. Among this group, the most common reported actions included reducing waste, changing shopping habits, adjusting diet and changing travel. Respondents who had made no changes most often said large polluters should act before individuals, that their own actions would have little effect, or that change was too expensive.
Water use was another focus. Eighty-six per cent said they had taken at least one step to cut water use in the previous month, such as not leaving taps running or waiting for a washing machine or dishwasher to fill. People who reported restrictions in their local area were more likely to say they reduced garden water use than those who said there were no restrictions.
The bulletin combines three survey waves conducted in July, August and September. Its pooled sample contained 10,680 respondents. For the latest individual survey period, 3,640 people responded from 8,730 households sampled, a 42% response rate. Estimates were weighted, and some subgroup estimates may be less certain where sample sizes are smaller. The survey covers Great Britain, not Northern Ireland, and its figures should not be read as a UK-wide estimate.
