Most millennials not opposed to immigration

Just one in five 32-year-olds in England think immigration has a negative impact on the economy while less than a third believe the number of immigrants should be reduced.

The new study, published today as a CLS briefing paper, also reveals that people’s attitudes to immigration tend to vary by their education level and voting behaviour. For example, those who hold a degree and individuals who voted remain during the EU referendum were more likely to hold favourable views about immigration.

What the researchers looked at

Researchers from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies analysed data from around 6,000 millennials in England who were born in 1989-90 and have taken part in the nationally representative Next Steps study since adolescence. They examined information reported by participants at age 32, in 2022-23, about their attitudes to immigration. They also looked at data on their ethnicity, country of birth, gender, educational attainment, employment status as well as their voting behaviour.

What the study found

The majority of millennials (55%) reported that they believe immigration is positive for the British economy, with more than two thirds (38%) saying it is ‘good’ and almost a fifth (17%) ‘extremely good’. Less than a fifth (19%) believed immigration has a negative effect on the economy, with 13% saying it is ‘bad’ and 6% ‘extremely bad’. A quarter of people (26%) held a neutral opinion.

More than two-thirds of people (68%) said that immigration does not need to be curbed. Around a third (34%) said the number should remain the same, a fifth (22%) believed it should increase and an additional 12% thought it should increase significantly. Less than a third (32%) reported that it should be reduced a little or a lot.

Differences across society

The study found that people’s views on immigration differed by their social and economic circumstances. Graduates, those in higher education and people in stable employment tended to be more positive about immigration compared to their counterparts who were less educated, those who were not in education and people who were unemployed.

Ethnic minority groups and individuals born outside the UK had more positive attitudes about immigration than their white counterparts and those born in the UK. Black millennials held the most favourable opinions about immigration, while other ethnic minority groups held similar attitudes to their white peers.

Influence of political attitudes

Individuals who voted to remain in the EU referendum in 2016 tended to have a much more positive view of immigration compared to those who did not vote and those who voted to Leave the EU (i.e., for Brexit). Those who said they voted for the Conservative Party in the general election in December 2019 reported, on average, less positive general attitudes to immigration compared to non-voters or voters of other parties.

Lead author, Dr Michaela Sedovic (UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies) said: “This briefing paper draws out important findings on millennials’ attitudes to immigration, reported between April 2022 and September 2023, a time when the topic was regularly in the headlines and the subject of public debate.

“Our research shows relatively positive public attitudes to immigration held by the majority of this generation. However, people with below degree level education, those who are out of the labour market, and those with conservative political views tend to hold more negative sentiments towards immigrants.

“Previous research has shown that perceived immigration reported in the media and online often creates a more threatening feeling than the actual situation in the country does. Considering these attitudes and fears and responding to them by running information campaigns about immigrants and integration policies can help moderate negative attitudes and remove false preconceptions about immigrants and their lives in the UK.”

Further information

Attitudes to immigration: initial findings from Next Steps at Age 32, by Michaela Sedovic is available on the CLS website.