The Bank of England's quarterly Inflation Attitudes Survey demonstrated a significant gap between the real inflation rate and public perception. When asked what the current rate was, the median response placed inflation at 3.8% in August, compared to 4% in May 2009. Inflation was 1.6% in August.

Twenty-two percent of respondents said that interest rates had risen over the past twelve months, up from 17% who thought the same in the May survey. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed said it would