# Britain's racial equality mood is sliding backwards

> A new British Future study finds people across ethnic groups think racial equality in the UK is going into reverse.
- Title: Britain's racial equality mood is sliding backwards | Shortify
- Summary: A new British Future study finds people across ethnic groups think racial equality in the UK is going into reverse. Both white and ethnic minority Britons…
- Keywords: race, inequality, polling, discrimination, news, world, Britain's, racial, equality, mood, sliding, backwards
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/15/ethnic-groups-feel-racial-equality-worsening-uk-study
- Published: 2026-09-15T19:04:55+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: race, uk, inequality, polling, discrimination, news, world
## Progress feels like it's reversing
British Future's study found people across ethnic groups believe racial equality in Britain is getting worse, not better. One in six people in the UK are from an ethnic minority background.

> Most ethnic minorities in Britain feel there was a positive change against racism in our lifetimes yet now fear that progress being reversed
## Half faced prejudice last year
Nearly half of ethnic minority respondents reported racial or nationality prejudice in the past year, and the rate was notably higher among 18 to 24 year olds. Public spaces topped the list, then social media, then work.
## Agreement on the problem, not the cause
62% of ethnic minority Britons and 57% of white Britons called racial inequality a serious problem. But white respondents were less likely to see structural barriers in education, work and public services.
## The preferential treatment split
Among white respondents, 37% said ethnic minorities are treated better than white British people and 33% disagreed. Among ethnic minorities, only 23% agreed while 48% disagreed.
## Age and politics divide more than race
The report found gaps by age and political leaning ran deeper than gaps between ethnic groups. Black respondents were often more positive about progress, while Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage respondents were more pessimistic after the 2024 riots.

> In both the white and ethnic minority surveys, gaps between rich and poor are seen as the most important divide impacting the UK
## Kill the zero-sum framing
The report gave government 10 recommendations, from backing grassroots work to pressing Ofcom on online racism. Trust in parties was low: Greens +15 and Labour +13 on fairness, Reform UK at -31.

> The antidote to that is to pursue a broad and proactive fairness agenda
## Key takeaway

Both white and ethnic minority Britons see racial inequality as a real problem, but they disagree sharply on who is getting the better deal, and that gap is where the politics now sits.