World Immigration News

Educational background key indicator of immigration views in UK, study finds

Release Date: 2026-01-20
Media: The Guardian
Summary: NatCen’s Demographic Divides research finds that education is the clearest fault line shaping British attitudes to politics, diversity and immigration, and that right-wing parties struggle to win support among graduates. In the UK, people with qualifications below A-level have about twice the odds of voting Conservative or Reform UK compared with those with a university degree or higher, even after accounting for financial insecurity—making educational background a strong predictor of right-leaning votes.

The study also shows that education polarises views on race, diversity and immigration more sharply in Britain than in the US. For example, far more UK degree-holders say diversity strengthens society, and they are more likely to recognise racial advantage, while lower-qualified Britons are more likely to oppose allowing undocumented immigrants to remain. In the US, education matters too, but right-wing support is better explained by a broader mix of factors such as ethnicity, gender, location and economic precarity, which helps explain why polarisation differs between the two countries.
Tags: United Kingdom

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