Different this time- microeconomic consequences of the recession

Understand this issue

Rank of local authorities by average household income compared to rank by average consumption after housing costs

data item

On average, London local authorities rank at the top of the income distribution, but are bottom of the net-of-housing consumption distribution.

11 April 2025

Average household consumption spending before and after housing costs, and mean weekly per-capita income, in different local authorities, 2018–2019

data item

Londoners may have the highest average incomes, but their household spending once you account for housing costs is lower than other regions.

11 April 2025

Spring Statement 2025: IFS Zooms In

podcast

What were the decisions and trade-offs made by Chancellor Reeves?

27 March 2025

Policy analysis

Working in your 60s: a way to stay young for some

comment

On average, women who remained in work for longer following increases in the state pension age saw improved cognition and less physical disability.

13 May 2025

Here’s a pension tweak for nudging civil servants to work past 60

comment

Public sector pension rules are a mess that helps neither workers nor the government. Fixing them could be a win-win.

28 April 2025

Which places have the highest standard of living?

comment

Measuring living standards using average household spending gives a starkly different picture of regional inequalities than using average income.

11 April 2025

Academic research

The impact of work on cognition and physical disability: Evidence from English women

journal article

We show that remaining in work has significant positive causal effects on the average cognition and physical mobility of older women in England.

13 May 2025

Measuring cost of living inequality during an inflation surge

working paper

We provide new evidence that inflation inequality surged during the 2021–2023 cost-of living crisis.

9 May 2025

Market concentration and productivity: evidence from the UK

journal article

We measure product market concentration and business dynamism in the UK from 1997 to 2020 and study the relationship with productivity.

6 May 2025