London, 2nd November 2026 - Britain’s younger adults and older generations have different understandings of what “growth” means for the country’s future, according to new research by Verian, one of the UK’s largest social research agencies, for Anthropy, the UK’s largest cross-sector leadership gathering and a driving force for national change.
When asked what “growth” means for Britain’s future, 40% of 25–34-year-olds define it as better lives for people, including health, education and opportunity. Among those aged 65 and over, 61% choose the economic definition: a stronger, more prosperous economy.
For Anthropy, the findings raise a question for political and business leaders: how can they build support for Britain’s growth ambitions if the generation expected to help deliver them understands growth differently?
The findings do not suggest that the public rejects economic growth. Two-thirds (66%) believe it generally improves people’s lives. However, 81% say that growth must also improve lives and protect the environment if it is to benefit Britain fully.
“These different interpretations of growth show that a joined up conversation is essential for the good of the country. A separate survey of our Anthropist community revealed a similar shared belief among those that responded - successful growth requires all parts of society to work together, which is precisely why Anthropy convenes the largest cross-sector gathering of leaders in the UK every year, to inspire exactly that kind of collective change.” John O’Brien, Founder and Chairman, Anthropy.
The research also reveals a gap between support for collective action and people’s sense of personal influence. More than four in five adults (82%) agree that tackling Britain’s biggest challenges requires action from all parts of society, not just government. Yet only 37% feel that people like them have a meaningful part to play in improving Britain’s future. Among those aged 65 and over, that figure falls to 26%
Confidence in Britain’s ability to address its biggest challenges is also low: just 15% believe the country can make meaningful progress over the next decade, while 54% are not confident.
Craig Watkins, CEO for UK and EU at Verian, said: “Growth means different things to different people, but the public is clear that it must deliver more than a stronger economy. People also want growth to improve lives, protect the environment and help tackle Britain’s biggest challenges. Yet only just over a third of people feel they have a meaningful role to play in improving Britain’s future. With only 15% confident that Britain can make progress over the next decade, the challenge is to show people that their contribution matters.”
Verian interviewed 1,184 adults aged 18 and over in Great Britain for Anthropy. Interviews were conducted online through the Public Voice panel between 2 and 5 October 2026. Data are weighted to be representative of the adult population of Great Britain. The survey data tables and further details on the methodological approach and weighting will be published on the Verian website by 02 November 2026.
All figures are weighted percentages. Totals may not sum to 100% because of rounding and may exceed 100% where respondents could select more than one answer. Subgroup differences quoted in the findings report are significant at the 95% level. Results for groups with an unweighted base below 100 are not reported.
The survey provides a snapshot of views in October 2026. It does not show how views have changed over time or directly compare the public’s understanding of growth with that of political or business leaders.