Research and analysis

How does the Office for Budget Responsibility incorporate migration into its forecasts of the public finances, and how could this be improved?

How does immigration affect the UK economy and public finances? We examine migration trends, fiscal impacts and what they could mean for the Budget.

The triple lock has boosted the level of the state pension over time and it creates high and uncertain costs for the future. 

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will reform post-18 student finance, but financial support alone may not be enough to boost adult skills.

Unlike most taxes, land value tax doesn’t discourage people from working, investing or building. So why don’t we use it more?

Hidden NEETs are much closer to the labour market than NEETs who are claiming benefits

As the Pensions Commission moves towards developing policy recommendations, this presentation discusses some of the key trade-offs it faces.

For the first time in over a decade, the NHS broadly stuck to its planned 2025-26 budget – but partly because hospital activity grew more slowly. 

Business rates are blamed for killing the high street. But would cutting them actually help shops and pubs - or simply make landlords richer?

The Scottish Fiscal Commission confirms higher funding this year but warns about a tough fiscal outlook. 

We highlight the key theoretical predictions about rent controls and summarise what empirical research reveals about their effects in practice. 

Around £790 million extra funding has become available this year, but painful trade-offs will be required in 2027–28 and beyond.

All the analysis and more from our IFS Green Budget 2026 to date, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and Barclays.

The Reform UK proposals represent a substantially different vision of what the benefit system should be doing.