The large majority of the public say things are worse now than they were in 2000
The end of the year is always a moment to look back and reflect on the events of the last 12 months, but as we approach the year 2025, now provides an opportunity to reminisce over the first quarter of the 21st Century.
Pedants will point out that the beginning of the century was actually the start of 2001, not the start of 2000. But few of the public think this way (13%), with the overwhelming majority considering the millennium to have begun at the start of 2000 (79%) – certainly that is when all of the celebrations took place!
That being the case, what do the British public think has been the most significant historical event of the past 25 years?
Rather than providing a list of options, we asked respondents to answer in their own words, which we have sorted into the below categories using YouGov AI Topic Quantifier.
Two events score similarly at the top of the public’s list, one towards the end of the time period and the other towards the beginning: the COVID-19 pandemic (26%) and 9/11 (24%).
The passing of the British crown for the first time in 70 years is listed as the most significant historical event to have taken place in the last quarter-century by 11% of Britons, putting it third overall. In fact, among the over-65s, the death of Queen Elizabeth II and/or the accession of King Charles III tops the list of historical events, at 22%, fractionally ahead of the pandemic on 20%.
Older Britons are far less likely to list 9/11 as the most significant historical event (8%) than younger generations (21-34%).
In fourth place, on 7%, is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The conflict in the easternmost reaches of Europe is also a more common response among Britain’s elders, with 14% of the over-65s listing it as their choice.
Brexit comes in fifth place, on 5%, with Leave and Remain voters about equally likely to name it the big event of the quarter-century (5-7%). Likewise, among voters for the main four UK parties, only 4-7% name Brexit as the most consequential event of the last 25 years.
Other major events like the 2008 financial crisis (2%) and the election(s) of Donald Trump (1%) hardly feature at all.
Britons review the last 25 years in gloomy terms…
The public take a pessimistic view of how life has changed over the last quarter-century, with the majority (57%) saying that life for ‘people across the world in general’ is worse now than it was at the start of the year 2000.
Around one in six (18%) see life globally as about the same now as it was 25 years ago, while only 16% think things have actually got better.
Attitudes are more gloomy still when it comes to life in the UK, which 70% of people believe is now worse than in 2000 compared to only 9% who think it has improved.
But when it comes to Britons’ own lives*, attitudes are less bad. While 42% say their own life is worse now than 25 years ago, most say it is either no better or worse (30%) or has improved (23%).
*this question was only asked to those aged 25 and older
Younger Britons tend to be more likely than their elders across the questions to see improvement over the past quarter-century, while Reform UK voters are the most likely to think things have become worse.
…and are not optimistic for the next 25 years
If the last 25 years have been bad, there is little optimism that the next quarter-century will be any better. Just 17% say they are optimistic that the state of the world will be better over the next 25 years, including a mere 1% who are “very” optimistic.
Instead, 72% are pessimistic about the coming decades, including 26% who are “very” pessimistic.
Younger Britons – who of course stand the greatest chance of making it through the full 25 years – are only marginally more optimistic than their elders (20-21 of under-50 age groups versus 14-15% of over-50s).
Likewise, Reform UK voters are once again notably more likely than those for other main parties to be negative about how the next 25 years will go.
What do you think was the most significant event of the past 25 years, what the future holds, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
