The State of the Nation: economic, fiscal and funding outlook

Understand this issue

How can we make government more productive?

podcast

How can the public sector do more with less? We explore productivity trends, government reform and lessons from private sector innovation.

3 December 2024

How big are the UK's demographic challenges?

podcast

With birth rates at record lows, we ask what the implications are for the UK and how it might impact the public finances.

8 November 2024

What does the Budget mean for the UK?

podcast

We discuss the Chancellor's first Budget and what impact the changes could have.

31 October 2024

Policy analysis

A decline in foreign students and higher costs create a perfect storm for Scottish universities

comment

Falls in funding for home students, a decline in international enrolments and higher labour costs put Scottish university finances under pressure.

19 November 2024

Real-terms departmental spending growth, 2024–25 to 2028–29, day-to-day spending and capital spending, plans at Spring Budget 2024 and Autumn Budget 2024

data item

Rachel Reeves has topped up the day-to-day departmental spending plans inherited from Jeremy Hunt, but the increases are very front-loaded.

1 November 2024

Autumn Budget 2024: IFS analysis

event 31 October 2024 at 10:30

At this online webinar IFS researchers presented their initial response to new Chancellor Rachel Reeves' first Budget.

Academic research

Resource windfalls, public expenditures and local economies

working paper

We show that the redistribution of natural resource tax revenues to non-extractive municipalities stimulates economic activity in local economies.

18 November 2024

Unfunded mandates and taxation

journal article

In 2006, the Chinese central government increased civil servant salaries and pensions and used either unfunded and funded mandates in different areas.

14 March 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