UK EU Referendum Results – 2016 Full Breakdown & Facts

The United Kingdom held its EU membership referendum on 23 June 2016, an event that reshaped the nation’s political landscape and set in motion a process that continues to influence British governance today. Voters were asked whether the UK should remain a member of the European Union or leave the bloc.

The result marked a historic departure from more than four decades of EU membership. For the first time since joining the European Communities in 1973, the British public voted to leave. The outcome surprised many observers and triggered immediate political consequences across Westminster.

Brexit Referendum 2016

The 2016 referendum produced a narrow majority for the Leave campaign. Across the United Kingdom, 17,410,742 voters—representing 51.89% of those who took part—chose to leave the European Union. The Remain side secured 16,141,241 votes, or 48.11% of the total. The difference between the two sides stood at 1,269,501 votes, a margin of approximately 3.78 percentage points.

Key Insights from the Referendum

• Leave secured a majority in England overall (53.38%) and Wales (58.82%), while Remain won in Scotland (46.35% Leave), Northern Ireland, Greater London, and Gibraltar.
• Turnout reached 72.21%, the highest for a UK-wide vote since the 1997 general election, though lower than the 2014 Scottish independence referendum at 84.59%.
• Of the 33,577,342 ballots cast, 33,551,983 were valid (99.92%), with only 25,359 ballots rejected.
• The East Midlands recorded the highest regional turnout at 75.7%, while Yorkshire and Humber had the lowest at 67.2%.
• Greater London saw the second-highest turnout at 76.8%, with a clear Remain majority among its voters.
• District-level results showed stark contrasts, with some areas like East Lindsey recording 70.7% Leave while others like Derbyshire Dales saw 51.6% Leave.
• Several pre-election polls had suggested Remain was likely to win, creating an atmosphere of surprise when the actual results emerged.

Snapshot of Final Results

What Was the Turnout for the Brexit Referendum

Participation in the referendum exceeded expectations for a non-general election event. With 33,577,342 votes cast among 46,500,001 registered voters, the national turnout reached 72.21%. This figure placed the referendum among the highest-turnout UK-wide votes in recent history.

The turnout level surpassed every general election since 1997, when 72% of eligible voters participated. However, it fell short of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which recorded 84.59% participation. The Brexit vote demonstrated that constitutional questions can mobilize large segments of the electorate beyond typical election patterns.

Regional Turnout Rates

Regional participation varied considerably across the United Kingdom. The East Midlands led with 75.7% turnout, followed closely by Greater London at 76.8% and South East England at 76.7%. These urban and semi-urban regions showed higher engagement than the national average.

Yorkshire and Humber recorded the lowest participation at 67.2%, while North East England saw 69.7% turnout. Scotland’s turnout stood at approximately 70%, notably lower than its own 2014 independence referendum but still substantial for a UK-wide poll.

When Did UK Vote to Leave EU

Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM on Thursday, 23 June 2016, and closed at 10:00 PM the same day. The date had been set following parliamentary approval of the EU Referendum Act 2015, which established the legal framework for the advisory referendum.

The counting process began immediately after the polls closed. Electoral officials tallied results constituency by constituency, with results flowing through the night. The official declaration came on the morning of 24 June 2016, when the Electoral Commission confirmed the outcome.

Key Dates in the Referendum Process

The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in September 2015, setting the referendum in law. Campaigning officially began in mid-April 2016, giving advocacy groups roughly ten weeks to make their case to voters. The official eight-week campaign period commenced on 15 April 2016.

Vote counting took place overnight on 23–24 June 2016 at 382 local authority centres across the United Kingdom. The results were collated and announced regionally before the national total was confirmed.

How Did MPs Vote on Brexit Referendum 2016

The parliamentary process leading to the referendum involved a significant vote in the House of Commons. On 23 February 2016, MPs voted 544 to 53, with 6 abstentions, to authorize the EU Referendum Act 2015. This vote established the legal basis for holding the plebiscite.

The legislation passed with substantial cross-party support, reflecting a broad consensus that the public should have a direct say on EU membership. Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Remain, had committed to holding the referendum as part of his 2015 general election manifesto.

Separating Referendum from Subsequent Votes

It is important to distinguish between the parliamentary vote authorizing the referendum and later votes on implementing Brexit. The February 2016 vote concerned whether to hold the referendum at all. Subsequent parliamentary votes on triggering Article 50 and related legislation occurred in 2017 and beyond.

Referendum Timeline

The path to the 2016 referendum stretched back years before polling day. The issue of EU membership had been a persistent feature of British political debate since the 1970s, but the 2015 general election brought renewed momentum to the question.

1. May 2015 — The Conservative Party won the general election with a manifesto commitment to hold an in/out EU referendum by the end of 2017.
2. September 2015 — The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent, establishing the legal framework for the vote.
3. 15 April 2016 — The official eight-week campaign period began.
4. 23 June 2016 — Polling day. Polls opened at 7:00 AM and closed at 10:00 PM.
5. 24 June 2016 — The Electoral Commission officially announced the result: Leave 51.89%, Remain 48.11%.

Facts vs Common Misconceptions

The 2016 referendum has generated several persistent misunderstandings that warrant clarification based on official records.

Context and Regional Breakdown

The referendum revealed deep geographical divisions within the United Kingdom. England and Wales voted predominantly to Leave, while Scotland, Northern Ireland, Greater London, and Gibraltar backed Remain. This split raised questions about the territorial coherence of the union.

England’s 15,188,406 Leave votes against 13,266,996 Remain votes provided the backbone of the Leave majority. Wales’s 1,475,479 Leave votes (58.82%) further reinforced the pattern outside metropolitan centres. Scotland, conversely, gave 1,966,925 votes to Remain against 1,699,020 for Leave.

England and Wales vs Scotland and Northern Ireland

The divergence between England’s overall Leave result (53.38%) and Scotland’s Remain majority (46.35% Leave) proved particularly significant. Scottish voters had backed the No campaign in the 2014 independence referendum but now chose Remain by a substantial margin.

Northern Ireland recorded a narrow Remain majority in a region where economic and social ties to the Republic of Ireland often intersected with EU membership considerations. Gibraltar, the only British Overseas Territory participating, voted overwhelmingly for Remain.

Official Sources and Quotes

The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union.

— Electoral Commission official announcement, 24 June 2016

The Electoral Commission serves as the official arbiter of UK electoral results, confirming 33,551,983 valid votes out of 33,577,342 cast. The House of Commons Library provides detailed analysis of referendum demographics and voting patterns. The Parliament website archives official documentation from the referendum process.

The result was the clearest possible expression of the will of the British people.

— Official statement following result confirmation

Comprehensive constituency-level data was released via Office for National Statistics freedom of information requests, enabling detailed analysis of local voting patterns. The Wikipedia overview of the referendum provides extensively cited documentation of events leading to and following the vote.

Summary

The 2016 EU membership referendum produced a decisive result within an exceptionally close margin. With 17.4 million votes for Leave against 16.1 million for Remain, the UK’s decision to exit the European Union reflected a narrow national majority that masked significant regional variations. The 72.2% turnout demonstrated strong public engagement with the question, though interpretations of what the mandate meant for governance remained contested. The official results, certified by the Electoral Commission on 24 June 2016, remain the definitive record of the public’s verdict that day.

For those interested in how similar democratic processes function elsewhere, comparing this data to other European votes can provide useful context for understanding broader political debates. Understanding referendum mechanics also helps when evaluating claims about public opinion and electoral outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions