Britain is now one of the most socially liberal countries in the world

Britain has been found to be one of the most socially liberal countries in the world, according to a recent study. The Policy Institute of King's College, London presented a report which showed that in the past 40 years, social attitudes in the country have changed significantly. Homosexuality, divorce, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, and prostitution are now considered more acceptable.

The study, which is based on the World Values Survey, a global social survey that has been running since 1981, records attitudes, beliefs, and values in different countries. The United Kingdom ranks among the most socially liberal countries in the world on all measures.

The report states that 47% of the British population believes that abortion is always justifiable, which places the country behind only Sweden (74%), Norway (62%), and France (49%). The support for abortion is considerably lower in the US (24%), Germany (29%), and Italy (23%). However, there are significant regional differences within the UK, with only 25% of respondents in Northern Ireland thinking that abortion is justifiable, while the percentage is almost double in Scotland (49%) and England (48%).

Likewise, regional differences emerged with regard to homosexuality. When asked about the morality of homosexuality, 49% of people in Northern Ireland think it is justifiable, while in England and Wales the percentage is 65%, and in Scotland, it is 64%. Only Sweden (81%), Norway (76%), and Germany (67%) have higher figures than the UK overall (65%).

The study also found that the most liberal countries in the world with regards to the moral permissibility of casual sex are Australia (48%), Spain (46%), Canada (45%), and the UK (41%). The moral justification of prostitution is the only measure for which the UK ranks fifth in the world, slightly lower than for other issues. "Only" 17% of respondents believe it is justified. This is still a remarkable increase since 1981 when only 7% of the UK population considered it acceptable. The countries where prostitution is more accepted are Australia (27%) and Germany (24%).

Interestingly, cheating on taxes is the only issue that Britons find less acceptable now than 40 years ago. The percentage of the British public who said it was justifiable decreased from 7% in 1981 to 1% in 2022.

The World Values Survey also registered significant differences not only between different countries but also between religious and non-religious respondents in the same country. For example, the percentage of British people who find casual sex acceptable is 53% among the non-religious and 27% among the religious. Only 35% of religious people would accept euthanasia, compared to 56% of non-religious people. However, the survey found no difference with regard to the death penalty.

Finally, the study revealed that the non-religious are also more likely to find it justifiable to avoid paying a fare on public transport and cheating on taxes, while the religious are slightly more sympathetic than non-religious people to those claiming benefits they are not entitled to