In the latest edition of YouGov’s Big Survey series, conducted among 1,939 Britons on 2-3 June 2026, we take an in-depth look at experience of, and attitudes to, family in Britain today.

Most people say family is important to them, and most describe their own family as close. But this does not mean family relationships are universally warm, or unconditional. Many Britons feel different from their wider family, some have bad relationships with close relatives, and sizeable numbers wish their families were closer than they are.

It also looks at the boundaries and expectations of family life. Can parents and children be friends? How much does it matter what your family thinks of your partner? Are pets members of the family? Are families weaker than they used to be? And what do Britons think family members actually owe one another?

Key findings

  1. Most Britons say family is important to them, with two thirds saying it is “very important”
  2. Six in ten Britons say they come from a close family, although more than a third say their family is not close
  3. Almost four in ten Britons say they would like their family to be closer than it is
  4. Mothers are the family members Britons are most likely to say they have a particularly close relationship with
  5. Women are more likely than men to keep in regular contact with family
  6. Two thirds of Britons say family is more important to them than friendships, although younger Britons are more likely than older people to prioritise friends
  7. Most Britons with adult children say they are “friends” with at least one of them
  8. Britons in relationships overwhelmingly say they get on well with their partner’s family – including their mothers-in-law
  9. Half of pet owners say they consider their pets to be family members to the same degree as human relatives
  10. Most Britons think families today are weaker than they were in the past
  11. Most Britons do not think couples raising children need to be married
  12. Britons are more likely to say unhappy couples with children should separate than stay together for the sake of the children
  13. The family obligation Britons are most likely to recognise is that adults should care for their parents if they become ill in old age
  14. On most other obligations tested – including housing adult children, helping with grandchildren, supporting family members financially, or tolerating disliked relatives – Britons are more likely to say it is up to the individual

See the full results here

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