One in Six Britons See Muslim Population Growth as Cultural Threat – Study Finds

The study “Understanding Anti-Muslim Hostility: Foundations for Action” was produced by British Future, a social-integration think-tank, and the British Muslim Trust, the government’s partner for monitoring Islamophobia. Conducted after the Unite the Kingdom rally of September 2025, it surveyed 2,000 adults – about half Muslim – and informed the Trust’s new helpline for anti-Muslim hate crimes. Both groups present the research as a baseline for future action, not a policy prescription.

The Guardian

Seventeen percent strongly agree that Muslim population growth threatens UK culture, while 52 % say Muslims are as British as white non-Muslims and 57 % believe they can live well together. Among Muslims, 73 % view the UK as a good place to be Muslim, yet 56 % reported religious prejudice in the past year and 69 % of Muslim women felt less safe after the Unite the Kingdom rally. Sixty-one percent back government action against anti-Muslim prejudice, only 7 % oppose, and 41 % want free-speech safeguards. Age-related attitudes show 29 % of over-65s view Muslim contributions negatively versus 16 % of 18-24-year-olds.

The Guardian

British Future’s director warned that unchecked hostility could become normalized, urging protection of free speech alongside citizens’ safety. The British Muslim Trust called the rise in Muslim insecurity, especially among women, “utterly intolerable”, highlighted its new anti-hate helpline, and noted that 61 % of the public support government action, with many also demanding free-speech safeguards.

The Guardian

The survey shows 17 % strongly view Muslim growth as a cultural threat and 19 % doubt British-born Muslims’ equality. Older respondents are more negative, with 29 % of over-65s viewing Muslim contributions unfavorably versus 16 % of 18-24-year-olds.

The Guardian

If hostility spreads, social cohesion and integration could erode. The strong link between personal contact and acceptance suggests fostering local relationships can counter prejudice, while online misinformation demands digital-media interventions.

The Guardian

The study measures attitudes without policy recommendations and its single cross-sectional design limits insight into regional trends.

The Guardian

• “The online world is plainly shaping attitudes, carrying misinformation and hostility further and faster than ever before.” — Akeela Ahmed, Director, British Muslim Trust

The Guardian

• “Too many people simply do not know a Muslim – the interpersonal contact and connection that builds trust is missing from their daily lives. Both must be addressed … It is in those local relationships, more than anywhere else, that prejudice is undone.” — Akeela Ahmed, Director, British Muslim Trust

The Guardian

• “Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, said: “It’s deeply worrying that one in six people hold sweeping, hostile prejudices towards Muslims in Britain.” — Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future

The Guardian

• “It cannot be OK for a section of our society to be subjected to such hostility because of their religion.” — Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future

The Guardian