{
  "id": 6689224,
  "title": "London misperceptions: Study reveals what Britons get wrong",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/london-misperceptions-study-reveals-what-britons-get-wrong",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-11T02:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-london-misperceptions-reveals-britons-wrong.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study from the Policy Institute at King's College London reveals that Londoners have several inaccurate perceptions about their capital city. Despite London being one of the safest regions in England and Wales and ranking among the best globally, the public overestimates the likelihood of becoming a crime victim, underestimates the city's international standing, and often assumes it contributes little to public finances. The study finds that London's Muslim population is significantly underestimated, with a third of respondents believing the city is nearly half Muslim. Additionally, a third of the public thinks there are \"no-go\" areas where Sharia law dominates. Political affiliations play a significant role in these misperceptions, with Reform UK supporters farthest from the truth regarding crime and the Muslim population, while Green and Labour supporters overestimate how White British London is. However, the public correctly identifies some issues, like the rise in certain crimes since 2019, even if they mistakenly believe overall crime has increased. The study, based on two surveys of 2,164 and 3,969 adults conducted between March 23 and 27, 2026, shows that these misperceptions are closely associated with attitudes towards London's direction and how warmly people feel about the city. Professor Bobby Duffy, the director of the Policy Institute, notes that London has become a focal point in national debates about crime, immigration, and the country's direction, often portrayed as in decline or dangerous. The study's authors emphasize the importance of correcting these misperceptions to foster healthy debate about the reality of London, as each individual tends to see a version of the city that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs.",
  "summary": "London has one of the lowest violent crime rates of any region in England and Wales, tops a global ranking of the best cities, and pays more in taxes than it receives back in public spending—but the public overestimates how likely Londoners are to become victims of crime, underestimates the capital's international standing, and has little idea it is the key contributor to public finances,…",
  "key_points": [
    "Londoners overestimate crime victim likelihood despite city being one of safest in England",
    "Underestimate city's international standing, assume it contributes little to public finances",
    "Muslim population significantly underestimated, with 33% believing city is nearly half Muslim"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The study's findings highlight the need to correct Londoners' misperceptions, which are closely tied to their attitudes towards the city's direction and their feelings about it, and often influenced by their political affiliations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}