Over the last 25 years, the Public Attitudes to Science Survey (PAS) has provided data on what people think about science, scientists and science policy, and how informed and engaged they feel when it comes to science issues.
Results published today by Ipsos, the British Science Association and UK Research and Innovation come from the PAS 2025 Survey, the first since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The PAS 2025 Survey took place during a year when the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) was increasing.
It reveals that the public are sceptical about the benefits of AI, and concerned that the speed of development in new technologies may outpace consideration of risks and the ability of government to control them, even while they value the benefits that new technologies and scientific advances may bring.
It also reveals a public that values science, research and innovation in terms of their contributions to UK society and the economy:
- 82% thought scientists made a valuable contribution to society.
- 64% agreed that science made a direct contribution to economic growth (though this has slipped from 75% in 2019).
People are more at ease with scientific development and technological change:
- In 2025, 53% agreed that ‘the benefits of science are greater than any harmful effects’ and only 13% disagreed, a belief that has been consistent over the last decade and is notably less negative than in 1988 when 32% disagreed.
- In 2025, less than half (45%) believed that ‘science and technology are too specialised for most people to understand them’, similar to 2019 and a decrease from 66% in 2000.
The PAS 2025 Survey is the first edition to take place since the widespread integration of AI tools in public life. However, AI joins a group of technologies, alongside driverless vehicles, which polarise public opinion:
- While a third (33%) thought that the benefits of AI outweighed the risks, as many people were of the opinion that the risks outweighed the benefits (36%).
- 25% thought that the benefits of driverless vehicles outweighed the risks. However, 47% felt that the risks outweighed the benefits.
- Post-pandemic the majority (80%) continued to feel that the benefits of vaccinating people against diseases outweighed the risks.
The findings reveal a public that values science and scientists, where more people are discussing science with those around them than before. However, despite greater access to information on science, fewer people feel well informed:
- One in three people (31%) reported speaking about science with friends and family at least once a week.
- The proportion feeling well informed about science has fallen since 2019 (from 51% in 2019 to 43% in 2025). The latest result is more in line with previous years.
- There is also less confidence that the information they hear about science is “generally true”, down from 50% in 2019 to 40% in 2025.
There is uncertainty around the benefits of science to people personally and some specific aspects of trust have also diminished post-pandemic:
- 65% felt that science had increased the prosperity of society, but only 43% agreed that it had increased their own personal prosperity.
- There is reduced trust in some scientists working for certain groups to follow rules and regulations: those working for government (down from 76% in 2019 to 69% in 2025) and those working for private companies (down from 57% in 2019 to 48% in 2025).
- In 2025, 55% were confident that scientists in the UK thoroughly considered the risks of new technologies before they are used, down from 69% in 2019.
- Nearly twice as many people agreed than disagreed that the speed of development in science and technology means that they cannot be properly controlled by government (42% vs. 22%).
The public was divided as to whether science was delivering for all groups equally:
- A third agreed that scientific advances benefit the rich more than the poor (34%), with those struggling to get by on their present income being even more likely to agree (46%).
Some historic challenges persist, such as women feeling less informed, but representation in science is important to the public:
- 35% of women feel informed about science, compared with 51% of men, while scientists being ethical, having the right intentions, and being representative of the UK population were higher priorities for women than men.
- 64% believed that scientists should be required to involve all groups of the population in their research, but there is a lot of uncertainty over whether scientists “consider people like me” when designing their research.
While the majority (84%) agreed that young people’s interest in science is essential for our future prosperity, the survey identified some challenges in achieving this:
- Young people were more negative about their experience of science at school. A third (32%) agreed that school put them off science, compared with 23% of all adults.
- While the majority agreed that jobs in science were interesting, 16 to 24 year olds were slightly more likely than other age groups to disagree (13% vs 5% overall). And among the public overall, the belief that science offers a well-paid career has dropped from 50% in 2019 to 39% now.
Among 16 to 24 year-olds, new media surpassed traditional media – TV, radio, and newspapers or magazines – as the most frequent source of information about science.
The findings highlight an urgent need to involve and represent the public in decisions on science, to better understand the factors behind increasing uncertainty, and to give people a sense of personal connectedness to science at multiple touchpoints across their daily lives.
Hannah Russell, Chief Executive, British Science Association says:
“Public involvement, open dialogue, and diverse representation are essential for a thriving scientific ecosystem. The PAS 2025 results show that the public continues to value science, research and innovation and that more people are discussing science and technology-related issues. But it’s clear that this isn’t always translating into deeper engagement, with concerning trends emerging around ambivalence, uncertainty and loss of trust, particularly for women and young people.
“These findings suggest a fragility in the UK public’s support for science that we cannot afford to ignore. Investment in public engagement will be vital in addressing these challenges and ensuring science is more accessible, inclusive, and representative of the society it serves.”
Tom Saunders, Head of Public Engagement at UK Research and Innovation, says:
“The Public Attitudes to Science survey shows how public sentiment around science has evolved over the last 25 years. This year’s survey – the first since the Pandemic – shows that overall, the UK public does value science: eight in ten people believe scientists make a valuable contribution to society, and two-thirds agree technology improves lives. However, dig in into the data, and there are some worrying signals. Certain aspects of trust in science have fallen since the pandemic, and fewer people feel informed about science than before. Young people, in particular often report negative experiences of science at school and less than half of the people we surveyed think that science benefits their personal prosperity.
“The survey also points to ways to address these issues: a large majority want government to communicate more about science, and there is widespread desire for public involvement in shaping science policy. At UK Research Innovation, we are committed to advancing knowledge, improving lives, and driving growth. The issues revealed by PAS will inform our investments and we will track their effect through future PAS surveys in 2028 and 2030."
Gideon Skinner, Research Director at Ipsos – which oversaw delivery of the PAS survey – says:
“It is clear from this research that the British public continues to value science and scientists, and the contribution it makes to society. People believe it is important to take an interest in science, and that science, technology and research are important to the UK’s international competitiveness and the delivery of economic growth, energy and better public services at home.
However, there are still some concerns. While engagement with science is broad it is not necessarily very deep, and there is still more to be done to engage certain groups – such as women – particularly given the importance the public places on involvement and representation within science. While new forms of digital and social media are an important (especially for young people) and often valued channel for people to find out about science, there are wider concerns about the overall provision of information about science and whether it can be trusted.
“Although scientists are generally seen as interesting, competent, and with the right intentions, their communication skills are less well-regarded, and they have more to do to convince the public that they are always acting ethically and following the rules and regulations, especially those working in certain sectors.
"And finally, although the public are in favour of new technology in general, they have questions over whether the speed of development outpaces consideration of the risks and the ability of government regulations to keep up, with the public still divided over the risks and benefits of AI specifically.”