By Fatma Younis
Young Britons are reluctant to take up arms to defend the United Kingdom in a national crisis, according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey. The study of 4,656 people aged 16 and over exposes a stark generational split over military service, even as public support for higher defence spending reaches a record high.
Generational Divide on Military Service
Only 22 per cent of Britons aged 16 to 34, covering Generation Z and younger millennials, attached high importance to serving in the armed forces during a time of need. In contrast, 45 per cent of those aged 55 and over viewed military service as highly important. Nearly a fifth of under-35s dismissed military service as unimportant, compared with just 8 per cent of older respondents.
Sophia Gaston, a British foreign policy researcher and author of the report, warned that this reluctance poses a direct challenge to military planners, noting that younger Britons are the cohort who would be required to fight should active conflict arise. She said the post-Cold War peace that shaped the country's worldview no longer holds, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Middle Eastern instability, and doubts over American leadership.
Record Support for Higher Defense Spending
While younger generations recoil from frontline service, a record 56 per cent of Britons now want the government to spend more on defence — the first outright majority in the survey's four-decade history. Support for increased funding jumped among Labour voters from 28 per cent in 2024 to 55 per cent this year, while commanding 62 per cent of Liberal Democrats, 76 per cent of Conservatives, and 83 per cent of Reform UK supporters.
Shifting Threat Perceptions
Russia was almost universally regarded as a grave risk to world peace at 89 per cent. However, older Britons remained more suspicious of traditional autocratic adversaries: 71 per cent of over-55s identified China as a serious threat, compared with 47 per cent of under-35s. Younger generations proved significantly more critical of Western allies, with 79 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds describing the United States as a serious threat and 82 per cent holding that view of Israel. The proportion of Britons viewing the US as a serious threat has more than doubled from 35 per cent in 2024 to 74 per cent this spring.
Strategic Realignment Toward Europe
Growing transatlantic unease has prompted a realignment in strategic priorities. When asked where the UK's focus should lie, 42 per cent favoured closer links with Western Europe, compared with just 9 per cent choosing the United States and 38 per cent backing both equally. Support for European ties rose to 53 per cent when the European Union was named specifically. Gaston said the findings demonstrate that while Britons increasingly value practical European partnerships, the public ultimately favours a diversified approach to security alliances built on balance, resilience and flexibility.
