New research reveals the British public holds notably tougher attitudes towards immigration and is less inclined to believe diversity strengthens society compared to their American counterparts.
These findings, from the National Centre for Social Research, challenge the widely held perception that Britain is inherently more socially liberal than the United States.
The study specifically highlighted that Reform UK voters in Britain were more prone than supporters of President Donald Trump in the US to advocate for the expulsion of immigrants residing in their country without permission.
While seven in 10 supporters of Mr Trump felt this way, the figure was almost eight in 10 (79 per cent) among Reform followers.
The researchers said they wanted to “better understand how public attitudes in the UK compare with those in the US, and the extent of polarisation in the two countries”.
Their survey found 42 per cent of people in the UK think there should be legal efforts to deport immigrants living here without permission, compared with just a third (33 per cent) in the US.
While almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of respondents in the US felt diversity strengthens society, only around half (49 per cent) of the UK public agreed.
Proportions were similar when it came to how open their country is to people from around the world, with 63 per cent in the US feeling this is essential to national identity but only 49 per cent of people in the UK feeling this way.
Alex Scholes, research director at NatCen, said: “The idea that Britain is more socially liberal than America doesn’t hold up across all issues.
“While the UK is clearly more liberal on questions to do with family, sexuality and religion, attitudes to immigration and diversity show the opposite pattern.
“People in the UK are less likely than those in the US to see diversity as a strength, or to think that openness to people from other countries is essential to who we are as a nation. Our findings suggest that polarisation in the two countries looks very different.
“In the UK, the sharpest divides are around immigration and national identity, in the US they’re around social issues and the role of government. These differences will shape political debate on both sides in the years to come.”
When it comes to issues such as abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage, people in the UK were found to be more liberal in their attitudes.
The vast majority (92 per cent) of people in the UK said contraception being widely available is good for society, compared with 78 per cent in the US, and while around six in 10 (59 per cent) people in the UK think same-sex marriage being legal is good for society, only around a third (34 per cent) said so in the US.
While 86 per cent of people in the UK think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, fewer than two thirds (63 per cent) felt this way in the US.
Reform UK voters had a more liberal view on abortion, with 82 per cent thinking it should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 35 per cent of supporters of Mr Trump.
More than 2,000 UK residents aged 16 and over were surveyed in June 2025, being asked the same questions as more than 8,000 people in the US aged 18 and over who were surveyed in April 2024. Both were weighted to be representative of their respective country’s population.