Monday 2 November 2026 Calendar Track record Research
United Kingdom · General election · 2001

The final polls missed by 1.9 points a party. Labour was overstated most, by 3.2.

6 final polls from 6 pollsters, each firm's last before polling day, against the official result.

United Kingdom, 2001: the 6 final polls missed each party by 1.9 points on average. The biggest miss was Lab, +3.2 points; the closest pollster was ICM.

1.91
Poll average: average miss per party
3 parties at 5%+; all 3 measured: 1.91
1.98
A typical single poll
points a party, same parties
+3.2
Biggest miss: Lab
polls 45.2, result 42.0
ICM
Closest to the result
0.60 points a party; furthest: NOP 3.47

Each final poll against the result

The line is the result. Each dot is one pollster's final poll, placed by how far it was from the result; the ring is the poll average. Right of the line, the polls had the party too high.

← too lowtoo high →polls / result
Lab
Gallup: 48.0 (+6.0) ICM: 43.0 (+1.0) Ipsos: 45.0 (+3.0) NOP: 47.0 (+5.0) Rasmussen: 45.0 (+3.0) YouGov: 43.0 (+1.0) Average: 45.2 (+3.2)
+3.245.2 / 42.0
Con
Gallup: 32.0 (−0.6) ICM: 32.0 (−0.6) Ipsos: 30.0 (−2.6) NOP: 30.0 (−2.6) Rasmussen: 32.0 (−0.6) YouGov: 33.0 (+0.4) Average: 31.5 (−1.1)
−1.131.5 / 32.6
Lib Dem
Gallup: 18.0 (−0.8) ICM: 19.0 (+0.2) Ipsos: 18.0 (−0.8) NOP: 16.0 (−2.8) Rasmussen: 16.0 (−2.8) YouGov: 17.0 (−1.8) Average: 17.3 (−1.5)
−1.517.3 / 18.8
resultone pollster's final pollaverage of the final polls

The poll average against the result

PartyResultPoll averageMissLowest–highest pollPolls
Lab 42.0 45.2 +3.2 43.0–48.0 6
Con 32.6 31.5 −1.1 30.0–33.0 6
Lib Dem 18.8 17.3 −1.5 16.0–19.0 6

Each pollster's final poll

Closest first. Under each figure, the miss: + too high, − too low.

Pollster Lab Con Lib Dem Avg miss
ICM 4 Jun 2001 43.0+1.0 32.0−0.6 19.0+0.2 0.60
YouGov 4 Jun 2001 43.0+1.0 33.0+0.4 17.0−1.8 1.07
Ipsos 6 Jun 2001 45.0+3.0 30.0−2.6 18.0−0.8 2.13
Rasmussen 3 Jun 2001 45.0+3.0 32.0−0.6 16.0−2.8 2.13
Gallup 6 Jun 2001 48.0+6.0 32.0−0.6 18.0−0.8 2.47
NOP 1 Jun 2001 47.0+5.0 30.0−2.6 16.0−2.8 3.47
Average of the final polls 45.2+3.2 31.5−1.1 17.3−1.5 1.91
Result 42.0 32.6 18.8

How this is measured