The way we were in 2015. A look back over the year’s opinion polls doesn’t just tell how we like to vote… it shows us who we are.
We don’t pay Him much attention... but we adore him
What kind of people are we?
We’re a nation of TV watchers. The average Briton watches three hours and 40 minutes of television a day, and that doesn’t include box sets (Ofcom/Independent on Sunday). We’re more ethnically mixed than ever – almost one in three primary school children in England are from an ethnic minority; one in five speak English as a second language (Department of Education). We still believe in marriage, though far more so if we’re rich than if we’re poor: 90%of mothers of young children in households with incomes above £45,000 are married; but only 25% in households with incomes below £14,000 are wed (Times). Almost a fifth of us (19%)have a tattoo (YouGov). And a surprisingly large number – one in every 65 adults – are millionaires. There are now 715,000 millionaires in the UK, a rise of more than 40% since 2010 (Times).
Do we have a sunny future outlook?
Less so as we get older. A mere 9% of 14 to 16-year-olds agree with the statement “people like me don’t stand a chance in life”, but 21% of those aged 20 to 22 agree with it (Ipsos Mori for Barnados). Labour voters are a bit more pessimistic than Conservative ones: 23% expect there to be an apocalyptic disaster in their lifetime compared with 21% of Tories; 31% of UKIP voters expect one (YouGov/Daily Mirror). Men seem to have a greater lust for life than women: 35% say they’d like to live forever, compared with just 21% of women. However, 14% of men also think they’ll end up in hell (if it exists), while only 6% of women do (YouGov).
Are we happy in our relationships?
Not all that happy when it comes to sex. Only 46% of heterosexuals, and even fewer gay people (38%) say that they’re satisfied with their sex lives. 43% of couples with children admitted they hadn’t had sex in the previous month (YouGov/Sunday Times). By contrast, 54% of men in their 70s and 80s, and 31% of women in that age group, describe themselves as being sexually active; though only 31% of men that age and 20% of women say they often kiss their partners (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing/Telegraph). On the other hand, fully 87% of couples describe their relationship as good (YouGov). Some are not taking any chances, though. 11% of men in long-term relationships, and 8% of women, have a “running away” fund of, on average, £7,500 – a secret stash of cash to use if they leave their partner (Money Advice Service/Daily Mail).
Do men share the domestic burdens?
Some of them. 29% of fathers say they take sole responsibility for the cooking, and 87% say they do at least some of it. However, 60% of mothers say they take sole responsibility for the grocery shopping (BBC Good Food). And 89%of mothers in full-time work take on the main burden of parenting in their household: 88% of them say they’d prefer to work less so they could see more of their children (Mumsnet/Observer). Many first-time fathers seem to find it hard to cope with parent-hood: 38% say they’re concerned about their mental health (NCT/The Guardian). Only 35% of women, and 27% of men, see themselves as feminists: yet 57% and 48%, respectively, agree there’s still a need for feminism in Britain today (YouGov). Although half of British Muslims aged 55 or over agree that “a husband’s job is to earn money, a wife’s job is to look after the home and family”, just 24% of those aged 16 to 24 think so (Demos/The Guardian).
Are we an honest lot?
Not especially. 53% of British women and 32% of men say they have cheated on their partner with a friend (YouGov/Sun). 44% of workers aged 20 to 39 (but only 12% of those over 50) say they have lied about being sick in order to get a day off work. 29% consider “sickies” to be additional holidays which they deserve (RIAS/Daily Mail). Qualified ambulance staff take the most sickies – 25 on average; nurses take 16.9 days; doctors just 4.4 (Daily Telegraph). 67% of people who employ a cleaner keep it secret from their friends; 44% of those who have a PA do the same; and 27% hide having a gardener (Fantastic Services/Daily Mail).
To whom do we offer our devotion?
Not, by and large, to God. Only 38% of British women and 24% of men say they believe in Him – even though 61% of women and 35% of men believe in an afterlife (BCS70/Daily Telegraph). Nor are we that devoted to Queen and country: only 27% of British adults say they’d fight for their nation (44% of Americans would) (Gallup/Times). However, a remarkable number of married men are devoted to their mother-in law: 25% admit having a “genuine crush” on her – 31% think she’s secretly attracted to them (Peter Hahn/Daily Mirror). And of course, being British, we’re devoted to our pets: 56% of dog owners would mourn the death of their pooch more than that of an extended family member, and 85% consider their dog to be a member of the family (Samsung/Daily Mail).
Statistics of the year
The name Gary is on its way out. In 2013, just 28 British babies were named Gary, less than the number (37) named Loki, after the Norse god of mischief.
The Daily Telegraph
The average pensioner now has a higher weekly income (£394) than the average person of working age (£385).
The Times
One in four front gardens in Britain has been paved over.
BBC News online
Britian’s public sector workforce has fallen by 960,000 since 2010, while the private sector has created 2.7 million jobs.
Office for National Statistics
One in four British adults aged under 25 are teetotal.
The Daily Telegraph
Just 13% of the white children in the poorest social class in Britain get a degree, compared with 53% of British Indians in that class, and 30% of Caribbeans.
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Russell Brand has nine million Twitter followers – three times as many as every British MP combined.
The Sunday Times
It takes between 60 and 80 intelligence agents to monitor a single terrorist suspect around the clock.
The Economist
20% of all the trees in Britain are ash trees – and ash dieback disease is expected to kill 90% of them within the next 20 years.
The Observer
The number of babies born to teenagers in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level since 1946.
ONS/The Guardian
China used more cement between 2011 and 2013 than the US did in the entire 20th century.
The Washington Post
