The UK public value scientists but fewer people feel informed about scientific research and developments according to a recent survey. The survey is the first of its kind since 2019, providing ‘a new baseline for attitudes to science in a post-pandemic era’.
Research company Ipsos conducted the survey between February and July 2025 with the British Science Association, on behalf of the funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Over 5000 people aged 16 and over responded to the survey, which aimed to gauge the public’s opinion on science, including questions on representation, how people receive science related news and views on topics like artificial intelligence. Most chose to answer the survey online, leading to three times as many responses as in 2019 when the survey was carried out face-to-face.
Of those surveyed, eight out of 10 thought that scientists make a valuable contribution to society, with just under 70% believing that science directly improves both economic growth and people’s lives.
Nearly 90% felt that the positive impacts of science outweighed any negatives, a notable increase from the nearly 70% who shared the same belief in a similar survey in 1988. However, on certain areas, such as AI, the public remains split on whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
More people are also engaging with science, with fewer feeling that science is ‘not for them’. Younger people aged 16 to 24 tended to feel the most informed about science, mostly getting information through new media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
An evolving media landscape now means that people of all ages are as likely to source their science news from traditional media – including radio, newspapers and television – as through new platforms.
Younger people are also more interested in getting involved with science, such as through citizen science projects, despite a third of them saying that education has put them off the subject.
However, despite increased engagement, the proportion of the public saying that they feel informed about science has decreased by eight percentage points to 43% since 2019. Women tended to feel less informed than men, with only 35% saying that they felt up to date, compared with 51% of men.
A third of those surveyed also thought that scientific advancements tended to benefit the richest in society, while this figure rose to almost half for those struggling to get by on their present incomes. Trust that scientists working for government would follow rules and regulations has also decreased by 7% since 2019.
Results from this survey, as well future studies, give the government insight on ways to improve the public’s perception of science, such as including the public on science-related decisions. UKRI plans to conduct at least two more biennial surveys, which aim to gauge how the public’s attitude to science changes over the coming years.
No comments yet