The key facts

  • 74% of Britons consider the US under Donald Trump a serious threat to peace, up from 35% in 2024
  • 42% favour closer ties primarily with Europe, while only 9% prioritise relations with the US
  • 56% for the first time supported increased defence spending; among Labour supporters, support rose from 28% to 55%

The US tops the list of threats

According to the British Social Attitudes survey, the results of which were published on 5 November, 74% of Britons consider the United States under President Donald Trump a serious threat to world peace — more than double the 2024 figure (35%). As reported by Anadolu, in respondents' perception the US has overtaken China and North Korea and is roughly on a par with Iran.

A shift in foreign policy preferences

The survey also records a shift in views on the country's priorities: 42% of respondents believe that Britain's interests are best served by closer ties with Western Europe, 38% favour equally close relations with both Europe and the US, and only 9% put ties with Washington first. Anxiety about other powers is also growing: the share of those who see Russia as a serious threat has risen from 41% in 1994 to 89%, China — from 28% twenty years ago to 62%, and Israel — from 48% in 2005 to 78%.

The paradox with the defence budget

At the same time, 56% of Britons for the first time supported an increase in defence spending, while 17% favoured cuts. Among Labour supporters, support rose from 28% in 2024 to 55%; among women, from 40% in 2025 to 52%; among Green supporters, only 21% approve of higher spending. The survey's authors note that this does not contradict social demands: about half of those who favour higher payments to pensioners, carers and low-income parents also support an increase in the military budget. Attitudes towards military service differ markedly by generation: 45% of respondents over 55 consider a willingness to serve important, compared with 22% of those under 35.