According to a 2023 survey, support for the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation in the UK outweighed opposition. Overall, 41 percent of respondents supported its use, compared to 12 percent who opposed it. According to the same survey, approximately one-third of UK residents believe that nuclear power provides a safe source of energy.
Since 2020, the UK’s government has announced new investments for the expansion of nuclear power, which were urgently brought forward after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to boost the energy independence of the country. As of May 2022, the UK is home to the two largest nuclear reactor construction projects in the world.
From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use?
Previous surveys in September 2012 and from March 2014 to March 2021
Method of interview
Postal questionnaire
Supplementary notes
"Don't know" answers account for the remaining share of the total.
Survey methodology up to March 2018 was a Kantar face-to-face omnibus survey. Between March 2020 and March 2021, a temporary Kantar online panel type of survey was introduced, which was not based on a random sample of respondents. From autumn 2021 onwards, the survey primarily used an Address Based Online Surveying (ABOS) method. The survey conducted in 2022 used a a push-to-web methodology, where the addresses of the respondents were randomly selected from the postcode address file (PAF) and completed the survey online or on paper. Due to a change in survey methodology, the source states that direct comparisons between time series is not possible. The opinion expressed by remaining share of the respondents was 'Don't know'.
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UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, & Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK). (March 7, 2024). From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use? [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, und Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK). "From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use?." Chart. March 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK). (2024). From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use?. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK). "From What You Know, or Have Heard about Using Nuclear Energy for Generating Electricity in The Uk, Do You Support or Oppose Its Use?." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy & Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK), From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use? Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/ (last visited October 15, 2024)
From what you know, or have heard about using nuclear energy for generating electricity in the UK, do you support or oppose its use? [Graph], UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, & Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (UK), March 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/426157/united-kingdom-uk-attitudes-towards-nuclear-energy/