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A major UK survey shows strong public support for food taxes, especially when designed to lower the cost of healthy foods, highlighting a path forward for fair and effective nutrition policies. Study: Are food taxes for healthy eating acceptable? A survey of public attitudes in the UK . Image Credit: photographyfirm / Shutterstock A survey report published in the journal BMJ Public Health reveals strong support among UK residents for taxing unhealthy foods, especially if such higher taxation can make healthy foods more affordable.
Background Postal workers and teachers backed taxes more than delivery drivers or retail staff – the study found stark divides between occupational groups, with professional roles 1.5x more supportive of food taxes than manual workers. With a sharp increase in the global prevalence of obesity and other diet-related conditions, several countries have started using fiscal policies to promote healthy eating.
Fiscal policies, including taxes on unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, can potentially improve public health outcomes by promoting healthier dietary habits and reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods. A successful implementation of a food tax depends on public support, which makes it essential to understand public attitudes toward food taxes and their related impact on food prices and the overall cost of living. The public's acceptability of food taxes largely depends on their perception that obesity is significantly associated with the excessive availability of unhealthy foods.
In this context, evidence suggests that a significant proportion of the general population strongly supports targeted nutritional interventions addressing public health concerns, although the survey found that support for such taxes varies by socioeconomic status, region, and occupation. Specifically, higher support was found among non-manual workers and London residents, while lower support was reported among long-term benefit recipients, the unemployed, and manual workers. However, support for food taxes was also shown to be conditional on how the policy is designed, especially when paired with subsidies or measures that make healthy foods more affordable.
Given the strong connection between public attitudes and the implementation of food taxes, this nationally representative survey of 2,125 UK adults was conducted between 12 and 14 April 2024. The survey covered three main areas: public support for a new tax on unhealthy foods, public awareness of the current food and non-alcoholic beverage taxes in the UK, and public preferences regarding specific characteristics of a possible new tax on unhealthy foods. Public awareness of existing taxes A higher percentage of participants expressed knowledge about the value-added tax (VAT) than the soft drink industry levy (SDIL) in the UK.
Approximately 25–27% of the participants, classified as 'very knowledgeable' in the survey, mentioned having knowledge about both taxes. However, between 14% and 30% of respondents reported that they did not know whether taxes applied to specific food categories, such as bottled water or processed meat, indicating limited awareness of the details about existing taxes. Public support for a new tax Support in Northern Ireland nearly doubled (44% to 74%) when tax revenues were linked to making healthy food cheaper, the largest regional shift in backing.
Approximately 48% of participants supported the implementation of higher taxes on unhealthy food. If tax-derived money were used to make healthy food more affordable, this number could increase to 72%. Only 23% of participants opposed higher taxes on unhealthy foods if the revenue generated was used to make healthier food cheaper.
Strong public support for higher taxation on unhealthy food was observed across all age groups. However, considering the sociodemographic characteristics of participants, some variations were observed. Participants in non-manual professions were more likely to support higher taxes on unhealthy food, whereas long-term recipients of state benefits, unemployed persons, and casual workers were the least likely to support these taxes.
Significant differences in support were also observed between high-skilled professionals and those in lower occupational categories. Among participants with different political preferences, those who voted for left-oriented parties received higher support. However, the study notes that political affiliation data had a high proportion of missing responses (23–26%) and was therefore excluded from the primary statistical analysis.
Among participants residing in different geographical regions, the highest support was exhibited by those living in London. The survey also noted that, despite generally high levels of support, public attitudes are influenced by concerns about affordability and the use of tax revenue, with support increasing markedly when tax revenue is earmarked to make healthy foods cheaper. It is important to note that the main statistical analysis excluded “don’t know” responses (ranging from 8–15% across key questions), focusing only on participants who expressed a definite opinion.
This may have slightly inflated the level of apparent support. Share of respondents who agree (somewhat too strongly) that ‘would you support a higher tax on unhealthy foods?’ or ‘would you support a higher tax on unhealthy foods to make healthy food cheaper’ by socioeconomic status. The number of observations is 2,125; the base category includes the following responses: strongly/somewhat opposed/don’t know.
The support category includes responses that strongly/somewhat support. Socioeconomic status groups include the following professions: professionals (grade A: professionals; very senior managers in business; top-level civil servants); middle-management (grade B: middle-management executives/principal officers/top management or owners of small businesses); junior-management (grade C1: junior management/varied responsibilities and educational requirements); skilled manual workers (grade C2: skilled manual workers/manual workers with responsibility for other people); unskilled manual workers (grade D: semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, apprentices and trainees of skilled workers); and unemployed/state benefits (grade E: long-term recipients of state benefits/unemployed/off sick/casual workers). Sample weights are used.
Public preferences for new tax characteristics The entire survey population exhibited a similar pattern of support for a possible tax on unhealthy foods, with cakes and crisps receiving notably more support than opposition among those already supportive of food taxes, although only cakes received more support than opposition in the full sample. A considerable proportion of participants also supported the implementation of a new tax on hot takeaways and ready meals. However, support was low for a possible tax on red and processed meats, as well as fruits and vegetables.
Regarding the priority goal that a tax should address, the highest support was provided for making healthier food more affordable, followed by addressing obesity, and improving the diets and health of children and adults. Only a few participants prioritized fair trade and environmental outcomes. The authors caution that framing the survey questions around affordability may have primed respondents to prioritize this outcome, potentially inflating support for taxes with an affordability goal.
Significance Self-reported “tax experts” were surprisingly clueless – 27% claiming strong VAT knowledge still incorrectly thought fresh fruit carried sales taxes. The survey offers valuable insights into public attitudes toward food taxes that promote healthier eating habits. According to the findings, a considerable proportion of UK adults support implementing higher taxes on unhealthy foods, especially if tax revenues are used to make healthy foods more affordable.
These findings indicate that the public is prepared to accept health taxes when the health rationale is clear. They also support taxes not merely designed to make unhealthy consumption more expensive. The survey reveals that a substantial proportion of UK adults lack sufficient knowledge about existing food taxes, which may significantly impact public attitudes towards these taxes.
The survey observed a higher public preference for taxing specific food items, such as cakes and crisps (among tax supporters), suggesting that the main public objective of a food tax is to increase the affordability of healthier foods. Importantly, support for food taxes was not uniform across all groups; it was higher among those in non-manual professions, women, and London residents, and lower among individuals in manual occupations, the unemployed, and those on state benefits. These differences underscore the importance of policymakers considering socioeconomic and regional variations when designing fiscal interventions.
Overall, the survey findings offer actionable recommendations for policymakers on designing food taxes that promote healthy eating and control diet-related diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The study also emphasizes that food taxes should be part of a broader public health strategy, including complementary measures such as subsidies for healthy foods, advertising restrictions, and labeling reforms, to address affordability and equity. The survey involved members of the YouGov platform, which consists of more than 185,000 individuals who have agreed to participate in the company’s surveys.
Although the platform aims to ensure representative sampling, there remains a possibility of missing out individuals without internet access. Another limitation of the survey is that participants were not provided with detailed information regarding the potential scope or extent of the tax; therefore, support levels may vary in response to a comprehensive proposal from policymakers. Additionally, the exclusion of “don’t know” responses from the analysis and the potential influence of question framing (priming effects) should be considered when interpreting the results.
Mario Martínez-Jiménez. 2025. Are food taxes for healthy eating acceptable? A survey of public attitudes in the UK.
BMJ Public Health, DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2024-001731, https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.
com/content/3/1/e001731.
