Calorie counts on pints will "clobber the pub trade"

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IEA Research — 2026

British Attitudes to Economic Growth

A major poll of 3,001 British voters examines why Britain's economy has underperformed, what the public believes is holding it back, and what it will take to build a mandate for reform.

67%

say Britain is heading in the wrong direction

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

87%

believe the UK should focus more on economic growth

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

3,001

voters surveyed across the UK, 13–18 January 2026

Online fieldwork conducted by Freshwater Strategy. Data weighted to be nationally representative of UK voters.

Public Priorities

Britons overwhelmingly want a stronger focus on growth

Support for prioritising economic growth is overwhelming. Very few voters believe the country is already wealthy enough, and only a small minority remain unsure.

The UK should focus more on economic growth

87%

The UK is already wealthy enough

Unsure

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026. Q: "Which of the following comes closest to your view?"

The Reform Mandate

Brits back free-market solutions to kickstart growth

When asked what would actually grow the economy, the public's instincts are predominantly supply-side. Large majorities back cutting energy costs, reducing taxes, and easing planning restrictions — a set of priorities that maps closely on to a free-market reform agenda. Policies that add costs or expand state control are widely seen as harmful.

Policies the public believe would grow the economy

Cut energy costs

77%

Cut taxes on workers

72%

Cut taxes on business

66%

Ease building & planning

59%

Cut business red tape

58%

Abandon net zero by 2050

37%

Policies the public believe would harm the economy

Higher business taxes

47%

More business regulation

44%

Higher energy costs

58%

Higher taxes on workers

54%

Harder to build homes

48%

Share who say this would grow the economy

Share who say this would contract the economy

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026. Q: "For each of the following actions, please indicate whether you think it would lead to growth, contraction or make no impact on the UK economy?"

The Growth Gap

Strong support, weak understanding

Britons overwhelmingly want growth — but most cannot define it clearly, and many doubt it will ever reach them personally.

87%

believe the UK should focus more on economic growth rather than conclude it is already wealthy enough

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

81%

say \"the government\" benefits most from growth — but only 52% believe they personally would benefit significantly

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

40%

of Brits believe the UK economy has no major strengths at all — rising to 55% among those who rate the economy as poor

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

£11k

GDP per capita is roughly £11,000 lower than it would have been had pre-2008 growth trends continued — a gap measured in foregone pay rises and smaller pension pots

IEA analysis based on ONS GDP and population data

\"I don't think I've ever seen real economic growth — to know what it actually feels like or looks like.\"

Younger male voter — Freshwater Strategy focus group for the IEA, February 2026

The Wealth Gap

The UK ranks 21st globally in GDP per capita

The average Briton is significantly poorer than the average person in Switzerland, Singapore, the United States, Australia, and Germany. Most Britons did not realise this was the case.

Switzerland

$118,000

$118k

Singapore

$99,000

$99k

United States

$93,000

$93k

Australia

$69,000

$69k

Germany

$64,000

$64k

United Kingdom

$57,000

$57k

GDP per capita projections (current USD). Source: IMF World Economic Outlook DataMapper — imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO

Perception vs Reality

Brits dramatically overestimate the UK's position

When asked to rank the UK against other countries and US states, the gap between what people believe and what is actually true is stark — and the reaction to the truth is one of shock and embarrassment.

What Brits believe — Global ranking

5th

On average, Brits place the UK 5th globally in GDP per capita — a position that would place it firmly among the world's wealthiest nations.

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

The reality — Global ranking

21st

The UK ranks 21st globally — behind not just the US and Switzerland, but also the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and Belgium.

IMF World Economic Outlook DataMapper — imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO

What Brits believe — vs US states

7th

Brits place the UK 7th wealthiest among US states, believing it sits comfortably above most of America's 50 states in GDP per capita.

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026

The reality — vs US states

Last

The UK ranks behind every single US state — including Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Over a quarter of respondents described themselves as \"shocked\" upon learning this.

IMF World Economic Outlook DataMapper — imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO

\"It's kind of shocking to think, actually, we're quite lower down than expected.\"

Younger female voter — Freshwater Strategy focus group for the IEA, February 2026

The Kitchen Sink

What Brits think is holding back growth

The public agrees with a wide range of explanations for stagnation — from supply-side constraints to statist remedies. This reveals both the challenge and the opportunity for advocates of market-oriented reform.

High energy costs

85%

Low wages

78%

Lack of public investment

77%

High taxes

75%

Trade barriers

74%

Too much red tape

74%

Corporate profit-seeking

73%

Welfare discouraging work

65%

Employment laws

64%

Strict planning laws

55%

Supply-side / market-oriented explanation

Demand-side / interventionist explanation

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026. Q: \"To what extent do you agree or disagree that each of the following is preventing the UK economy from growing?\"

\"Since both pro-growth and anti-growth policies are popular, the priority is not simply making the case for growth. It is demonstrating why bad policy has failed.\"

IEA analysis — British Attitudes to Economic Growth, 2026

Who are the British public?

Six growth segments of Britain

The research identifies six distinct segments shaped by lived experience, financial position, and beliefs about fairness and opportunity. Support for growth is high across all — but conditional, fragile, and filtered through social position.

32%

Affluent Professionals

Strongly pro-growth

Higher-income, degree-educated, London-based homeowners. The only segment with a consistently positive economic outlook.

22%

Squeezed Workers

Conditional support

Working-age, mid-income, Midlands and Wales. Pro-growth in principle but demanding evidence it will benefit them, not just businesses.

17%

Young Renters

Uncertain

18–34, lower income, privately renting. Open to growth but not yet convinced it will work for them. Housing is their central concern.

16%

Establishment Retirees

Risk-averse

Older, female, outright homeowners in southern England. Support growth as a means of maintaining stability and funding public services.

Pessimistic Men

Anti-state, pro-growth

35+, Reform-leaning, the most uniformly negative group. Connect growth to lower taxes and a system that rewards hard work.

Struggling Women

Most sceptical

Lower income, insecure work, Midlands and Wales. Support growth only if it clearly improves their lives without adding costs.

Freshwater Strategy poll for the IEA, n=3,001 UK voters, January 2026. Voter segments derived from cluster analysis of poll responses.

All poll data: Freshwater Strategy for the IEA, online survey of n=3,001 UK voters, 13–18 January 2026. Data weighted to be nationally representative. Margin of error ±1.8% for topline results. Focus groups: four online sessions (n=27) conducted 25–26 February 2026 across England and Wales. GDP per capita data: IMF World Economic Outlook DataMapper (imf.org).

Read the report

Lifestyle Economics

Calorie counts on pints will “clobber the pub trade”

15 April 2021

SUGGESTED

In the Media

Cut taxes, reduce regulation and lift Covid restrictions to help youth unemployment

Prof. Len Shackleton writes for 1828

15 April 2021

Housing and Planning

London can learn from failed rent control experiment in Berlin

Kristian Niemietz writes for The Spectator

16 April 2021

latest

Uncategorized

Never forgetting the absurdities of fascism

20 January 2026

Annabel Denham writes for The Telegraph

Reacting to the news that health chiefs are planning to force pubs to display calorie counts on alcoholic beverages, IEA Director of Communications Annabel Denham condemned the plans as the “next round in the interminable game of paternalistic policy whack-a-mole“.

In her Telegraph op-ed, Annabel slammed the policy, saying: “mandatory calorie counts will force the pub and hospitality industry to take on yet more bureaucracy and expense“.

Read the full article here.

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British Attitudes to Economic Growth

Britons overwhelmingly want a stronger focus on growth

Brits back free-market solutions to kickstart growth

Strong support, weak understanding

The UK ranks 21st globally in GDP per capita

Brits dramatically overestimate the UK's position

What Brits think is holding back growth

Six growth segments of Britain

Calorie counts on pints will “clobber the pub trade”

SUGGESTED

Cut taxes, reduce regulation and lift Covid restrictions to help youth unemployment

London can learn from failed rent control experiment in Berlin

Never forgetting the absurdities of fascism

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