Eight in ten adults say climate change affected them in the past year

The proportion reporting at least one climate-related impact has risen from 66 per cent in October 2024 to 85 per cent now, according to new Office for National Statistics data.

Eighty-five per cent of adults in Great Britain reported being affected by climate change in at least one way during the previous 12 months, the Office for National Statistics has posted. That’s a 19-percentage-point rise compared with the 66 per cent who said the same in October 2024, and up from 74 per cent recorded in September to October 2025.

Heatwaves were the most commonly reported effect, cited by 78 per cent of adults. Drought was reported by 40 per cent and wildfires by 26 per cent, the figures show.

The data comes from the ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, which measures respondents’ reported experiences or perceptions — it does not establish that every event described was caused solely by climate change. The Met Office has separately identified long-term increases in UK temperatures and rainfall extremes, while distinguishing those trends from individual weather events.

Kent and South London moved from prolonged dry weather status to drought status during August 2026, according to the Environment Agency, which also flagged increased wildfire risk. Kent and Medway draw more than 70 per cent of their drinking water from groundwater — the highest dependency of any UK region — making drought conditions a particular pressure on local supply. Kent Fire and Rescue Service responded to 399 grass fires in July 2022 alone, and Kent County Council recorded 172 excess deaths during heat periods that summer.

The year-on-year rise in reported impacts follows periods of hot, dry weather across parts of Great Britain. But the ONS figures capture perception as much as direct experience — and the precise fieldwork dates, sample size and question wording have not been independently verified against the underlying ONS bulletin.