About

Since 1981, the World Values Survey has captured the views of almost 400,000 respondents in over 110 countries, covering topics including cultural identity, migration, trust, empathy, tolerance, media consumption, political interest, the environment and more. For the first time in over 15 years, the UK will be part of the WVS.

With a high-quality random probability sample representing each of the four nations that make up the UK, this project will make a major contribution to the study of values, attitudes, and beliefs across the UK during a period of profound change.

There is real concern about the extent and growth of polarisation and division in the UK, highlighted since the EU referendum result and reinforced in the 2019 general election. However, there is much less evidence and precision in understanding the nature and trajectory of these trends.
Currently, we lack an understanding of the values driving division, what we can learn from other countries, and how long-term trends in attitudes and values are diverging or converging. Absent appropriate evidence bases, we potentially risk exaggerating the level of division, missing what brings us together, talking ourselves into problems we don’t currently have, and mischaracterising the real nature of the challenges we face.
With the support of Ipsos UK, a leading global market research organisation, the team collected data from over 3,000 people in the UK. A key strength to this fieldwork was the inclusion of booster samples for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, which ensures reliable comparisons between the nations of the UK.
Additionally, the team introduced a new set of measures capturing people’s thoughts and feelings in relation to moral issues, affective polarisation, and the future of the UK, to name a few. With over 300 variables at our disposal, the WVS UK data will provide for a wide-ranging evidence base to improve understanding of polarisation within the UK, and between the UK and other nations.
The project team will deliver a range of analyses to explore trends and patterns within the data. We will:
• Exploit the longitudinal and comparative aspects of the WVS to uncover longer trends in value change and better understand and inform the context of polarisation in the UK.
• Utilise the increased sample size to better understand differences between the four nations of the UK.
• Use advanced analytical techniques to segment the UK population by new models of socio-political identities.
• Test hypotheses about the main drivers of polarisation in the UK.
The project team will also deliver on a range of engagement activities to stimulate public interest and debate. These include:
• A launch event and an expert/technical conference.  
• Thematic media releases and comment pieces across policy areas .
• Roundtable briefings with key stakeholders, framed around findings from thematic reports. 
• A series of policy labs (day-long workshops) with policy-makers and practitioners on key themes .
• Sharing the data with all, and developing teaching materials to engage students.

Media engagement

Findings from the UK in the World Values Survey project are regularly featured in online and print media.
For media enquiries, contact us using the form below.

View media coverage

The team

The core team is led by the Policy Institute at King’s College London in partnership with University College London, the Behavioural Insights Team, and the Social Change Initiative. To assist the core team, a separate advisory team draws upon the expertise of a wider network of academics and public commentators.

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