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Public Engagement Survey

This page provides an overview of the Public Engagement Survey and links to all relevant documents

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Published:
8 September 2025
Last updated:
1 October 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated to reflect changes in departmental ownership following the July 2026 machinery of government changes.

  2. Publication of the DSIT Public Engagement Survey 2025/26 official statistics

  3. First published.

The Public Engagement Survey

The Public Engagement Survey is a continuous push to web survey of UK adults aged 16 and over. Paper questionnaires are offered as an alternative for those that wish to respond via an offline means. Verian is carrying out the survey on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST). Fieldwork began in November 2025 and is a main evidence source of adult engagement with DCMS and BIST sectors providing statistically representative national estimates. The survey’s main objectives are to:

  • Provide a high-quality evidence source that can be used to understand how people are engaging with, or experiencing, science and technology in their day-to-day lives. 

  • Provide reliable data by demographics, such as population sub-groups or regions of the UK, to meet user needs, providing evidence that enables us to monitor whether science and technology is experienced differentially within the population. 

  • Underpin further research on what is driving engagement and the value and benefits of engagement with science and technology. 

The development of this survey has been informed by feedback received by users in a user engagement exercise that took place in December 2024 to January 2025.

Prior to the July 2026 machinery of government changes, the survey was managed by the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and operated under the title of the “DSIT Public Engagement Survey”.

What the survey covers 

The survey collects data on: 

  • Digital inclusion and digital skills 

  • Broadband and mobile data usage 

  • Use of government digital services  

  • Attitudes towards science and technology  

  • Use of digital identity and electronic signatures

  • Adoption and attitudes relating to Artificial Intelligence 

The survey also includes a series of demographic questions (for example, age and education). 

Published data 

Data from the survey will be available in the following forms: 

  • An annual official statistics release will provide a detailed summary of the data (including data tables).

  • Annual cleansed datasets will be archived on the UK Data Archive. 

Information for survey participants 

Participants in the survey are randomly selected from addresses from the Post Office’s list of addresses in the UK. This ensures results reflect the experiences and views of the whole population. You can find more information for survey participants on the Public Engagement Survey: Information for participants page.

Feedback 

Please contact us with any questions or feedback by email at publicengagementsurvey@dsit.gov.uk

Publications

Guidance and Information

Contents