The way we were in 2016

This year’s opinion polls weren’t just a guide to how we like to vote – they tell us what kind of people we are

Are we a nation of believers?

For a supposedly secular country, an unexpectedly large number of us profess a religious allegiance. 46% identify themselves as Christians, and a further 8% as belonging to another religion. Only 41% of the Christians say they definitely believe in a Creator, however. More of us believe in the existence of aliens ( 30%) than we do in Hell – 27% ( Yougov/independent). Unbelief is more widespread among younger people. 56% of the under-40s say they have no religion. Even so, 16.5% of those people still believe there is “definitely” or “probably” a higher power ( Yougov/sunday Times).

How conservative (small “c”) are we?

Hard to say. 77% of us see ourselves as occupying the political centre, though 43% place Theresa May there, too: only 28% consider her right-wing ( Opinium/ Observer). But we remain stubbornly monarchist – 75% feel the monarch has an important role to play in Britain’s future, and only 17% want us to become a republic (down from 22% in 2005) ( Ipsos Mori/times). We also tend to have a warm view of our past: 44% think that Britain should be proud of its colonial history, and 43% that the British Empire was a force for good. Only 19% think it was a bad thing. And a fair few of us ( 47%) favour reintroducing National Service. On the other hand, more of us have a favourable view of socialism ( 36%) than we do of capitalism ( 33%): that puts us to the right of the Germans ( 45% pro-socialism, 26% pro-capitalism), but well to the left of the Americans ( 29% versus 52%) ( Yougov/independent).

Are we liberal in our social attitudes?

It varies with age and with the issue. 47% of us support the legalisation of cannabis, with only 39% against; but those most in favour ( 55%) are the 35 to 44-year-olds; less enthusiastic ( 51%) are the 18 to 24-year-olds; and even less so ( 37%) the over-65s ( Orb/independent). Most of us ( 50%) do not think that torturing enemy combatants in order to extract information is acceptable – though 26% of us do, as do 46% of Americans ( Icrc/guardian). But a majority of us, 57%, are in favour of banning the burka, and only 25% think it a bad idea ( Yougov/times). As a nation we seem to be growing less liberal-minded. Though fully 83% of millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) view themselves as “quite” or “very liberal” on issues such as same-sex marriage and transgender rights, 59% of Generation Z-ers (14 and 15-year-olds) declare themselves “broadly conservative” on such matters ( The Gild/times).

Do we seem a contented people?

Not especially. 54% of people in England say that they’re struggling or falling behind with the mortgage, and 16% of them say that they’re losing sleep over it ( Yougov for Shelter/independent). Not that we get a lot of sleep, in any case: 37% of us say we don’t get nearly enough, a higher proportion than in any other of 12 nations surveyed ( Aviva/times). British men often feel lonely: 32% have gone to a nightclub on their own ( Yougov/sun). And only 61% of British girls and women aged between seven and 21 are happy with the way they look ( Guides Association/daily Mail).

What do we really like?

Meat. The British are a nation of carnivores. Only 24% would give up eating it if their long-term partner asked them to. By contrast, 45% would stop drinking alcohol for their partner, and 49% would move abroad for them ( Yougov). Young British people are also mad about takeaways. On average, 18 to 34-year-olds order ten takeaways a month; and 9% eat a takeaway or at a fast food restaurant at least once every day. The over-55s, by contrast, only have two takeways a month ( Aviva/daily Mail). Above all, we’re obsessed with our phones and the internet. On average, we spend 39% of our waking hours online. 30% of us check for messages on our mobile at least every half an hour; 25% of us suffer separation anxiety if we spend more than an hour away from it ( Innocent/ Daily Mail). 59% of us (and 79% of our teenagers) admit to being addicted to our online gadgets ( Ofcom/daily Telegraph).

Are we fundamentally trustworthy?

Depends who you mean by “we”. 69% of people trust their hairdresser to tell the truth – more than those who trust the police ( 68%) or the clergy ( 67%). And encouragingly, 68% of us expect “the ordinary person” in the street to be honest, too. But needless to say, few of us ( 21%) feel politicians are trustworthy ( Ipsos Mori/times). We probably shouldn’t trust British air stewards either. 89% admit to having broken airline rules: 20% have shortchanged passengers; 21% have had sex with a colleague during the flight; 14% have had sex with a passenger ( Jetcost.co.uk/daily Telegraph). British parents have honesty issues, too. 46% of those who have children aged four to 16 admit to having raided their child’s piggy bank ( Nationwide/guardian).