LONDON (Bloomberg) — Britons' concern about the economy increased to the highest level since 1999 last month, an opinion poll by Ipsos MORI showed.

When asked what the "most important issue facing Britain today" is, 18 percent of respondents mentioned the economy, the market research group said yesterday in London. Seven percent said the economy will improve in the next year, compared with 54 percent who think it will deteriorate.

The Bank of England lowered the benchmark interest rate in February and predicted economic growth may match the slowest annual pace since 1993 in the fourth quarter of this year. Consumer confidence reached the lowest in more than three years and house prices dropped for a fourth month, the worst streak since 2000, reports by Nationwide Building Society have showed.

The report is based on responses from 1,037 people in a survey conducted between February 21 and February 26. A margin of error wasn't given.