Result of the Brexit referendum 2016, by percentage of votes

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in the Brexit referendum that took place on June 23, 2016. Overall, 51.9 percent of people voted to leave the European Union, compared with 48.1 percent of people who opted to remain. Of the 33.57 million people who voted in the referendum, 17.4 million voted to leave and 16.1 million voted to remain. This represented quite a high turnout of 72.2 percent, the highest voter turnout in a UK-wide election since the 1992 General Election.

Does the UK regret Brexit in 2025?

As the UK approaches the ninth anniversary of the Brexit vote in 2025, the vote to leave the EU is gradually becoming less popular. A growing majority of British voters have consistently said they think it was the wrong decision since July 2022. Despite this, British voters are still divided on exactly what type of future relationship they want with the EU, with a survey in late 2023 indicating that although rejoining the EU was the most popular option, it was supported by less than a third of voters. The declining popularity of Brexit since then likely reflects the political and economic instability since the referendum.

Brexit reveals a deeply divided country

Except for London, all regions of England, as well as the country of Wales, voted for Brexit. The leave vote was strongest in the West Midlands at over 59 percent, followed by the East Midlands at 58.8 percent. Scotland and Northern Ireland both voted to remain in the EU at 62 percent and 55.8 percent, respectively. Many of England’s largest cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle had Remain majorities. Younger voters were also more likely to have voted Remain than older ones. Almost three quarters of 18 to 24 year-old's voted to stay in the EU, compared with just 40 percent of those aged 65 and over.