Pride in being British has fallen sharply over the past 15 years, while pride in local communities has grown, according to new polling by the think tank Demos. The survey found that the proportion of people saying they are proud to be a British citizen dropped from 74% in 2011 to 47% in 2026.
Sharp Declines in Pride in History and Institutions
Pride in British history fell from 65% to 39% overall, with the decline far more pronounced among younger generations. Between 2011 and 2026, net pride in British history among under-25s fell dramatically from 54% to -4%, while among over-65s it declined only modestly, from 70% to 66%.
The survey also showed that pride in Britain's place in the world dropped from 35% to 13%, pride in Parliament fell from 23% to -11%, and pride in the monarchy plummeted from 54% to 25%.
Local Pride Rises
In contrast, pride in local communities increased from 29% to 40%, alongside a slight boost in neighbourhood trust. The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has repeatedly discussed the importance of community and has 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 said they are proud of British people, compared with 42% in the least deprived areas.
Report Warns of Democratic Emergency
The findings form part of Demos' new report, A Place for Pride 2026, which argues that Britain has experienced a growing disconnect that 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."
She added: "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."
