Neighbourly relations better now than before the pandemic

The way we feel about our neighbours has largely improved since the start of the pandemic, find UCL researchers as part of the Covid-19 Social Study. This upswing in neighbourly relations could indicate an increased sense of togetherness borne through a shared experience. The largest improvements reported were for "support": 35% of respondents in September 2021 said that neighbourhood support had improved (vs 28% in July 2020), whilst 15% say support had deteriorated (vs 5% in July 2020) compared with before the pandemic. This was followed by an increased sense of "shared values", with 32% of adults in September 2021 saying that these had improved compared to before the pandemic, whilst only 9% said this in July 2020. Similarly, 1 in 4 (25%) report greater "trust" in people living in their neighbourhood and a greater sense of neighbourhood cohesion in 2021 compared to before the pandemic (vs 7% for trust and 9% for cohesion in July 2020). For some, their experience of their neighbourhood relations has worsened. Over 1 in 5 (22%) reported a decrease in neighbourhood trust in September 2021, compared to only 4% who said this in July 2020.