Brexit Regret: Majority of Britons Now Believe EU Exit Was Wrong Decision

A recent poll has revealed that most British citizens now believe the country made a mistake by voting to leave the European Union, according to data from leading polling organization YouGov.

The survey, conducted in June 2025 but widely circulated on social media in October, found that 56% of respondents said Britain had been wrong to vote for Brexit, while only 31% maintained it was the right decision. The remaining participants responded “Don’t know.”

This represents a significant shift in public opinion since the original 2016 Brexit referendum, when 51.9% of voters chose to leave the EU and 48.1% voted to remain.

The poll results spread across multiple social media platforms in October 2025, including Reddit, Facebook, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), and Bluesky. The Financial Times also cited the research in an article published on October 20, 2025, fueling further online discussion.

YouGov surveyed 2,239 adults across Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) to gather these results. The company employed weighted sampling techniques to ensure the data accurately reflected the broader population’s demographics and voting patterns.

Christopher Davies, a YouGov spokesman, explained the company’s methodology: “We use various forms of technology to identify and remove potentially fraudulent respondents.” He added that they address issues of false recall by asking and retaining “people’s recalled vote as soon as possible after elections to use it for future weighting and sampling.”

The polling company has established a strong reputation for accuracy in predicting electoral outcomes in the UK. According to the British Polling Council, YouGov’s model was the most accurate in forecasting seats won in the 2024 UK general election.

Brexit has remained a contentious political issue in Britain since the UK officially departed from the European Union in January 2020. The complex withdrawal process was followed by a transition period that ended in December 2020, after which the UK fully implemented its post-Brexit arrangements.

The shift in public sentiment comes as Britain continues to navigate economic and political challenges in its post-EU era. Trade relationships, regulatory frameworks, and immigration policies have all undergone significant changes since the Brexit vote, with varying impacts across different sectors of the British economy.

While YouGov’s poll presents clear evidence of shifting attitudes, it’s worth noting that other polling organizations have conducted similar surveys, though not concurrently with YouGov’s June 2025 study. Companies like Kantar and Omnisis have asked comparable questions about Brexit sentiment, making direct comparisons between polling companies difficult.

What UK Thinks: EU, a website that aggregates Brexit-related polling data, confirms that YouGov’s June 2025 survey is the most recent comprehensive assessment of British attitudes toward the EU exit decision.

The growing public regret over Brexit may have political implications as Britain continues to redefine its relationship with European partners and establish its position in the global economic landscape. However, there is currently no significant political movement calling for Britain to rejoin the EU, despite the apparent shift in public opinion.

As the UK approaches the ten-year anniversary of the original Brexit referendum in 2026, these polling results provide a timely snapshot of how public sentiment has evolved on what remains one of the most consequential political decisions in modern British history.