Wave Four – November 2022

• The vast majority of residents state that their cost of living has increased over the last few months (94%), largely attributed to the rising cost of their food shop (97%) or an increase in their gas or electricity bills (88%).
• As a result of their cost of living increasing, over half of residents are spending less on non-essentials, using less fuel in their home, or spending less on food shopping and essentials.
• Just over half of residents report being less able or unable to meet the day-to-day costs of living as a result of this increase (52%).
• Local independent and national/international restaurants, cafes, takeaways and bars are set to be hit hardest by reduced spending by results, along with culture and leisure activities.
• Residents report similar levels of happiness and satisfaction with their life as the last wave of research, however, they are feeling more anxious, nervous or on edge.
• The proportion of residents likely to get a COVID-19 test if they were experiencing symptoms is decreasing wave on wave.
• Levels of trust in Central government and Portsmouth City Council have decreased since the last wave of research.
• Over half of residents say their travel habits have changed at least ‘a little’ since the pandemic (57%), mostly due to cost of living concerns and an increased cost in fuel.
• Nearly 80% of residents feel that introducing young people to new cultural experiences, more free events, and creating a wider range of events and performances at existing venues is important.
• The majority of residents are concerned about climate change (84%) and feel the council should focus on consumption and waste, and travel and transport (71%).

We did some similar research in 2020 and 2021, but with a focus on the impact of coronavirus, and in total have had more than 4,800 responses. Results from all waves of research can be found on the home page here.

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The research used a predominantly quantitative survey approach which was self-completing and online. The team also took the survey along to events in the city, and paper versions of the questionnaire were available by request. The survey launched on 26 August 2022 and was in field until 16 October 2022. It was promoted through the following marketing and communication channels:

• Press release announcing start of consultation and cost of living crisis focus
• Social media promotion including boosted posts and paid advertising
• Website news story, banners and ‘your city your say’ page
• Inclusions in news bulletins
• Inclusion in staff bulletins and all-staff emails
• Newsletter copy, social post/links, posters and flyers shared with partner organisations
• Snapchat campaign from 20 September – 16 October
• Live Well events across the city and the Freshers Fayre

Despite extensive efforts to reach out to all demographics, the sample collected was not representative of Portsmouth’s known population. In order to ensure that the results of the analysis were representative of the views of the city’s residents, the data was weighted using various sources of Official Statistics. For further details about the data weighting click here.

The consultation survey attracted 1,650 responses from residents. Assuming a ‘total population’ of 170,818 people (the latest 2021 census data from the Office for National Statistics for people aged 16+ in Portsmouth), this volume of responses ensures a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of 2.4%.