Brexit: What will it mean for Britain?

This is a pre-release from our 33rd report, published in June 2016.

Uncertainty about implications of Brexit

There are considerable levels of uncertainty about what will happen if Britain leaves the EU.

• 69% are unsure what will happen if Britain leaves the EU; 14% are “very unsure”.

• The youngest, those with no interest in politics and women are the most likely to say they are unsure.

Substantial minorities think leaving the EU will not make much difference

• 44% think Britain’s influence in the world would be “not much different” if she were to leave the EU. 31% think leaving the EU will not make much difference to Britain’s economy

• Those with no educational qualifications, from a lower social class and who have no interest in politics are more likely to think, in general, leaving the EU will not make much difference.

Expectations influence likely voting patterns

Expectations for Brexit link with views on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.

• 47% of those who are sure what will happen if Britain leaves the EU would prefer for Britain to
withdraw, compared with 22% of those who are unsure what would happen.

Read the report or interact with the data

You can download the report, Brexit: What does it mean for Britain?. We've also created a data interactive to accompany this report.