Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: 8 to 19 June 2022

The following information is on the latest period, 8 to 19 June 2022, based on adults in Great Britain.

• Around 9 in 10 (91%) adults continued to report their cost of living had risen over the past month (88% in the previous period, 25 May to 5 June 2022); when we first started asking this question in the period 3 to 14 November 2021, this proportion was 62%.

• The most common reasons given by adults who reported their cost of living had increased continued to be an increase in the price of food shopping (93%), gas or electricity bills (86%) or the price of fuel (80%).

• An increase in gas and electricity bills was the main reason for worry, reported by around half (51%) of adults whose cost of living had increased, but this has fallen compared with the previous period when over 6 in 10 (63%) of such adults reported this; around 2 in 10 were most worried about the price of fuel (20% in the latest period, 15% in the previous period) or the price of food (18% in the latest period, 13% in the previous period).

• Over 4 in 10 (43%) adults reported that they were buying less food when food shopping; this proportion appears to be increasing, having been around 1 in 10 (8%) when we first asked in September 2021.

• Similarly, 46% of adults reported they had to spend more than usual to get what they normally buy in the latest period compared with around 2 in 10 (18%) when we first asked about this in October 2021.

• Among the 61% of working adults who travelled to work at some point in the past seven days, the most frequently reported method was by a private vehicle such as a car, van or motorbike (64%); smaller proportions reported travelling to work by bus (15%); on foot (14%); by train (14%); by underground, metro, light rail or tram (7%); or by bike (5%).

• Among the 14% who reported they travelled to work by train, the most frequently reported alternatives if they were unable to travel by train were: working from home (74%); travelling by bus, minibus or coach (33%); or by underground, metro, light rail or tram (22%).

• Over 3 in 10 (32%) adults were worried (very or somewhat) about the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on their lives right now and just over 4 in 10 (41%) were worried about new variants of COVID-19.

Estimates in this release are based on data collected between 8 and 19 June 2022 (the "latest period") and 25 May and 5 June 2022 (the "previous period"). The week beginning 30 May 2022 included school half term in many parts of Great Britain and the Queen's Jubilee Bank Holiday.

We continued to ask adults about changes in their cost of living over the last month, with around 9 in 10 (91%) reporting it had increased in the latest period (88% in the previous period). The proportion of adults reporting this has increased since we first asked about this in November 2021, when 62% of adults reported this (3 to 14 November 2021).

Reasons reported by adults for the rise in their cost of living were an increase in:

• the price of food shopping (93%, compared with 94% in the previous period)
• gas or electricity bills (86%, compared with 85% in the previous period)
• the price of fuel (80%, compared with 77% in the previous period)
• rent or mortgages (17%, the same as in the previous period)
• the price of public transport (15%, compared with 16% in the previous period)

An increase in gas and electricity bills was the reason adults most frequently said they were most worried about, with around half (51%) of adults whose cost of living had increased reporting this. This had fallen compared with the previous period when over 6 in 10 (63%) of such adults reported this. On 26 May 2022 the government announced further support to help with rising cost of energy bills.  

Around 2 in 10 of such adults were most worried about the price of fuel (20% in the latest period, 15% in the previous period) or the price of food (18% in the latest period, 13% in the previous period).

Three-quarters of all adults (75% in the latest period, 74% in the previous period) reported they were worried (very or somewhat) about increases in the cost of living.

Actions following cost of living increases

The most common actions reported by adults who reported their cost of living had increased were:

• spending less on non-essentials (60%, same as in the previous period)
• using less fuel such as gas or electricity at home (51%, compared with 52% in the previous period)
• cutting back on non-essential journeys in a vehicle (45%, compared with 40% in the previous period)
• shopping around more (35%, compared with 38% in the previous period)

When asked about their shopping habits in the past two weeks, over 4 in 10 (43%) adults reported that they were buying less food when food shopping. This proportion appears to be increasing, having been around 1 in 10 (8%) when we first asked in September 2021 (8 to 19 September 2021).

Similarly, over 4 in 10 (46%) adults reported they had to spend more than usual to get what they normally buy in the latest period compared with around 2 in 10 (18%) when we first asked about this in October 2021 (20 to 31 October 2021) (Figure 1).

Energy bills

Less than 4 in 10 (37%) of adults who pay energy bills reported they found it very or somewhat difficult to afford them in the latest period, a slight decrease compared with 42% in the previous period.

In comparison, over 5 in 10 (52%) adults who pay energy bills reported it was very or somewhat easy to afford their energy bills in the latest period, a slight increase compared with 47% in the previous period.

Among those who reported they have gas or electricity supplied to their home, 4% reported they were behind on these bills (5% in the previous period). This proportion has appeared to be relatively stable since we first started asking this question in March 2022.

There are strong seasonal spending patterns relating to gas and electricity that may affect the results presented in this section. For more information on this and recent price rises for gas and electricity, please see our latest Consumer price inflation bulletin for May 2022.

For estimates on people's experiences regarding cost of living including breakdowns by age, sex and trends over time, please see our household finances dataset. For more estimates on people's experiences when shopping specifically, please see our personal experiences of shortages of goods dataset.

Our article Inflation and the cost of living for UK households: June 2022 provides a summary of the factors affecting inflation and cost of living, collating and updating analysis of different price measures.

When answering questions about their work, respondents were asked to consider the last seven days. In both the latest period and previous period this may have included the school half term in parts of Great Britain and the Queen's Jubilee Bank Holiday.

Around 6 in 10 (61%) of working adults travelled to work at some point in the past seven days (71% in the previous period).

This comprised 44% of working adults who only travelled to work (48% in the previous period) and 17% of adults who both worked from home and travelled to work (23% in the previous period).

Among working adults, 18% said they worked from home exclusively in the past seven days (15% in the previous period), while 22% neither travelled to work nor worked from home (14% in the previous period) (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Around 2 in 10 (17%) of working adults both worked from home and travelled to work (hybrid working) in the latest period

Working adults, Great Britain, January 2021 to June 2022

Notes:

1. Questions: "In the past seven days, have you travelled to work?" and "In the past seven days, have you worked from home?"

2. Base: Working adults.

3. Because of changes in the wording of the survey questions, there is a break in the time series from the period 30 March to 10 April 2022. Data before this period cannot be directly compared with data from this period onwards.

4. Reasons for respondents neither working from home or travelling to work might currently include being on annual leave or sick leave, being on maternity or paternity leave or being unable to work.

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When we asked working adults who travel to work what method of transport they took, the most frequently reported were:

• by a private vehicle such as a car, van or motorbike (64%, the same as in the previous period)

• by bus (15%, 11% in the previous period)

• on foot (14%, 20% in the previous period)

• by train (14%, 14% in the previous period)

• by underground, metro, light rail or tram (7%, 8% in the previous period) (Figure 3)

These data were collected prior to current rail and underground disruptions, but among the 14% who reported they travelled to work by train, the most frequently reported alternatives if they were unable to travel by train were:

• working from home (74%)

• travelling by bus (33%)

• by underground, metro, light rail or tram (22%)

A small number of respondents (3%) reported they would not be able to work if they were unable to travel by train. This estimate should be treated with caution because of the relatively small sample size for this question.

Further estimates regarding the location of work, including breakdowns by age and sex, and trends over time, can be found in Tables 3, 10 and 11 of our Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other illnesses dataset.

Our Is hybrid working here to stay article provides information on people's future plans regarding their location of work, including examination of the characteristics of those most likely to hybrid work (both work from home and travel to work).

According to our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, the percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) increased in the most recent week across all UK countries.

In the latest period on the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN), when asked about their worries related to coronavirus:

• around 3 in 10 (32%) adults reported they were worried (very or somewhat) about the effect that the coronavirus pandemic was having on their life right now

• around 4 in 10 (41%) reporting they were worried (very or somewhat) about new variants of COVID-19

When asked about preventive measures against COVID-19 and other illnesses they had undertaken in the past seven days:

• three-quarters (75%) said they always or often wash their hands with soap straight after returning home from a public place

• around 4 in 10 (38%) said they wore face coverings when outside their home

• around a quarter (27%) said that they always or often maintained social distance when meeting up with people outside their household

• around 1 in 10 (8%) said that they had taken a rapid lateral flow test

• 1 in 100 (1%) said they had stayed at home because they did not want to spread COVID-19.

The proportion of adults reporting worry about COVID-19 or undertaking these preventative measures has decreased since the beginning of 2022. Future editions of this release will monitor changes to COVID-19 related behaviours.

Our Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights tool provides a roundup of the latest data and trends about the COVID-19 pandemic from the OPN and other sources.

Further estimates regarding the social impacts of COVID-19 with trends over time and breakdowns by age and sex, can be found in our Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other illnesses dataset.

Personal well-being

This week, we continued to ask respondents about their personal well-being. Average levels of personal well-being were:

• life satisfaction - 7.0 in both the latest and previous periods
• feeling that the things done in life are worthwhile - 7.3 in both the latest and previous periods
• happiness - 7.1 in both the latest period and previous periods
• anxiety - 4.0 in the latest period and 3.9 in the previous period

These estimates of personal well-being may differ from those in our Personal well-being in the UK, quarterly: April 2011 to September 2021 bulletin, based on the Annual Population Survey. To find out more about the difference between these two data sources, you can view our Data collection changes due to the pandemic and their impact on estimating personal well-being methodology.

Figure 4: Levels of personal well-being remained relatively stable in the latest period

Adults in Great Britain, March 2020 to June 2022

Notes:

1. Questions included "Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?", "Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile?", "Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?", and "Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?"

2. These questions are answered on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is "not at all" and 10 is "completely".

3. Base: all adults.

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Loneliness

Around 1 in 14 (7%) adults reported feeling lonely always or often in the latest period (7% in the previous period).

This increased to around a quarter of adults (25%) reporting feeling lonely always, often or some of the time in the latest period (26% in the previous period).

For further estimates on people's personal well-being and loneliness, including breakdowns by age, sex and trends over time, please see our personal well-being and loneliness dataset.

This release contains data and indicators from a module being undertaken through the Office for National Statistics' (ONS') Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).

From the period 30 March to 10 April 2022, changes were made to the OPN to enable us to provide ongoing indicators on a wide range of public opinions and societal issues.

Changes were made to the OPN survey design, for example, sample size, the questionnaire, and financial incentives to participate. These changes may result in small changes to the responding sample. We therefore advise caution with comparing estimates from this period onwards with those published prior to this period.

Breakdowns by age and sex, including confidence intervals for the estimates, are contained in our Public opinion and social trends, Great Britain datasets. Breakdowns by region are no longer provided within these datasets because of the smaller responding sample size of the OPN survey.

Where changes in results from previous weeks are presented in this bulletin, associated confidence intervals should be used to assess the statistical significance of the differences.

Sampling and weighting

In the latest period (8 to 19 June 2022), we sampled 4,997 households. This sample was randomly selected from those that had previously completed the Labour Market Survey (LMS) or OPN. The responding sample for the latest period contained 2,199 individuals, representing a 44.0% response rate.

Survey weights were applied to make estimates representative of the population (based on June 2021 population estimates). Further information on the survey design and quality can be found in our Opinions and Lifestyle Survey quality and methodology information (QMI).