Income inequality

Understand this issue

There are good reasons to reverse the two-child limit

comment

"The two-child limit has been pretty much laser-focused on increasing the measured rate of child poverty." Paul Johnson writes for the Times.

22 July 2024

Growth and cutting inequality must go hand in hand for Labour

comment

"Labour’s manifesto may barely mention it, but consideration of inequality must nevertheless be at the heart of its agenda." Paul Johnson in the FT.

23 July 2024

Levelling up: it’s time to step up

comment

The gap in employment rates between the best- and worst-performing areas is at its widest since 2005, says Christine Farquharson.

30 June 2024

Policy analysis

320,000 people pushed into poverty because of mortgage interest rate rises

press release

"Poverty statistics that hide the real scale of increases risk policymakers missing what is truly happening to poverty."

25 July 2024

Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2024

report

How do rising mortgage rates and differential inflation affect incomes and poverty? How have incomes and poverty changed for pensioners?

25 July 2024

Dimensions of Inequality: The IFS Deaton Review

report

When people worry about the state of the world, or the state of the UK, they often mention the word ‘inequality’.

17 July 2024

Academic research

Very weak income growth for poor pensioners has meant rising pensioner poverty since 2011

press release

This report examines the key trends in pensioner incomes and poverty over the past two decades.

19 July 2024

Hours of work and the long-run effects of in-work transfers

journal article

We find that reforms incentivising full-time work can significantly boost incomes, including for poorer households, as well as enhance overall welfare

21 August 2024

Cheapflation and the rise of inflation inequality

working paper

Using household scanner data for fast-moving consumer goods, we show that this was accompanied by historically high rates of inflation inequality.

14 August 2024