Majority of Brits think the country is 'in decline'

More than half of Brits think the country is in decline and are significantly pessimistic about the lives of future generations, according to a new poll.

An Ipsos Mori survey reveals 57 per cent of people believe the UK is going downhill, while nearly one in five think the slump is "irreversible" and two-thirds feel the economy is rigged for the rich and powerful.

The findings are part of a poll of 22 countries, which Ipsos Mori says "paints a picture of a global public feeling left behind by the traditional system of politics and government".

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South Africa, South Korea, Italy and Brazil were the most pessimistic, with more than 70 per cent of people saying their country is in decline. India was by far the most positive, with only 22 per cent agreeing. The UK sits firmly in the middle of the table.

France, Belgium and Spain were the most negative about the prospect for future generations, while Argentina, India and Peru were the most hopeful.

Bobby Duffy, managing director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, said: "The political shocks of the last year have reignited interest in what is driving public opinion, but in reality we have been monitoring high levels of discontent with the traditional way of doing things for some time now.

"This can take many forms - economic insecurity, feeling ignored by the elites, anti-immigration sentiment and a general perception of decline - but our study suggests that many countries around the world share the view that the system no longer serves them."

Ipsos Mori carried out 16,096 interviews around the world, including more than 1,000 interviewees in the UK, between 21 October and 4 November 2016.

Infographic by www.statista.com for TheWeek.co.uk.