Public opinion on homeopathy in the UK

Research commissioned in the UK last year confirms that 80% of the British population are aware of homeopathy, and 79% of them open to it. However a lack of information and understanding are the highest barriers to use, and only 15% of people in the UK have used homeopathy. This proportion has not changed since an earlier survey in 2007. Negative media coverage of homeopathy was only a barrier for 16% of people.

Of those who have used homeopathy, 40% have done so in the last twelve months. Users are most likely to be women over 60.

These findings echo similar levels of awareness in other countries, although the percentage of those who actually use homeopathy in the UK is lower than in Germany (60%), Spain (27%), France (56%), Belgium (69% of households) or Austria (50%). Lack of information is also an important barrier to news users in many countries.

The research was commissioned by 4Homeopathy, a collaborative group that includes the whole homeopathic community in the UK, and sponsored by Boiron. It included both qualitative and quantitative research and its purpose was to provide robust data  reflecting the views of the public towards homeopathy, to help develop greater understanding of the opinions and prejudices of potential users and the barriers to becoming users and to provide guidance for future communication initiatives in the UK.

Source: Testing public opinion, Health & Homeopathy, Spring/Summer 2015, British Homeopathic Association