Polling Shows Britons Feel Less Safe than Five Years Ago
•February 18, 2026
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Why It Matters
Rising public insecurity pressures policymakers to accelerate defence modernisation, while broad consensus on drones and AI could reshape UK procurement and strategic posture.
Key Takeaways
- •52% feel less safe than in 2021
- •Over 60% more anxious about global security risks
- •79% support equipping troops with latest drone tech
- •66% back AI and autonomous defence investment
- •Older adults report highest insecurity levels
Pulse Analysis
Public confidence in safety is eroding across the United Kingdom, a trend the latest Adam Smith Insights poll attributes to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and heightened tensions in the Middle East. The survey, conducted online in early November 2025 with a margin of error of ±2.2%, reveals that more than half of respondents feel less secure than they did five years ago, and anxiety about global security risks has risen to over 60%. Older citizens, particularly those over 65, report the greatest decline in perceived safety, underscoring how geopolitical instability reverberates through domestic sentiment.
Against this backdrop, the poll uncovers overwhelming public endorsement for modernising Britain’s military capabilities, especially through drone technology. A striking 79% of participants favor equipping troops with the latest drones, and support exceeds 70% across all age groups, with the strongest backing from senior voters. This cross‑party consensus—ranging from 82% of Labour 2024 voters to 88% of Conservative supporters—suggests a fertile environment for policymakers to accelerate procurement programmes, potentially reshaping the UK’s force structure and industrial base to prioritise unmanned systems.
The appetite for cutting‑edge defence tools extends beyond drones to artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Approximately two‑thirds of respondents endorse increased investment in AI for military use, reflecting concerns over a growing technology race with China and Russia. While opposition remains low—under 10% across gender lines—the data indicates a clear public mandate for the UK to pursue advanced, algorithm‑driven capabilities. This could translate into heightened funding for research, faster acquisition cycles, and tighter civil‑military collaboration, positioning Britain to maintain strategic relevance in an increasingly automated battlespace.
Polling shows Britons feel less safe than five years ago
New defence-focused polling conducted on behalf of Adam Smith Insights and shared with the UK Defence Journal suggests the British public is increasingly anxious about global security, with a majority saying they feel less safe than they did five years ago amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.
The findings indicate that 52% of respondents feel less safe than they did in 2021. Less than 20% of people across all political parties said they feel safer or somewhat safer than five years ago. The polling also suggests that more than half of both men and women report feeling less secure, while older people were identified as the group feeling the most unsafe compared with how they felt in 2021.
When asked directly about global security risks, the polling found that around two-thirds of the public now feel more anxious than they did five years ago. It also states that over 60% of people across all political parties feel either somewhat or much more anxious about global security risks, with strong majorities recorded across every age group. The results suggest fewer than 10% of people over 35 feel much or somewhat less anxious than they did previously.
The survey also highlights strong public support for rapid modernisation of the UK’s Armed Forces, particularly around drones. It claims drones now account for more than 80% of casualties in the war in Ukraine and asked whether the UK should equip its troops with the latest drone technologies. In response, 79% of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed, while only 4% disagreed to any extent.
Support for expanding drone capability was high across the political spectrum, according to the figures. The polling found that 82% of Labour 2024 voters supported equipping UK troops with the latest drone technologies, while Conservative 2024 voters showed the highest backing at 88%. By current party identification, the polling suggested strong majorities across all parties, including 64% of Green supporters. The survey also reported that over 70% of respondents in every age group agreed that UK troops should be equipped with the latest drone technologies, with those aged 65+ showing the strongest support at 86%.
The polling also indicates broad support for investment in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems for military use, citing the growing defence technology competition with China and Russia. Around two-thirds of respondents supported the UK investing in AI and autonomous technologies for defence, with Conservative voters again recorded as the most supportive group, with 75% backing such investment. The results also suggested that 44% of men and 25% of women strongly support the UK investing in AI and autonomous systems for military use.
Opposition to investment in AI and autonomous systems was recorded as relatively limited, with the polling suggesting that only 7% of men and 9% of women strongly oppose or somewhat oppose the UK investing in such technologies. The figures also state that majorities across all age groups support the UK investing in AI and autonomous systems, with all groups over 50% in favour.
The polling was conducted between 3 and 5 November 2025 using a sample of 2,052 adults in Great Britain. The survey was collected using online panels and weighted to match the GB adult population profile across age, gender, region, ethnicity, and 2024 general election vote. The methodology states that respondents were filtered for completion quality, including speeding, and that incomplete or invalid responses were excluded. No imputation was applied. The poll has a stated margin of error of plus or minus 2.2%, with a median completion time of approximately 3.5 minutes.
The post Polling shows Britons feel less safe than five years ago first appeared on UK Defence Journal.
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