How important is the OBR forecast? podcast<p>The OBR forecast will underpin the Chancellor’s decisions at the next Spring Forecast.</p>12 February 2025
Do tariffs work? podcast<p>We discuss the economic consequences of tariffs, why governments use them, and whether they actually achieve their intended goals.</p>23 January 2025
How can we make government more productive? podcast<div class="flex-shrink-0 flex flex-col relative items-end"><div><div class="pt-0"><div class="gizmo-bot-avatar flex h-8 w-8 items-center justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-full"><div class="relative p-1 rounded-sm flex items-center justify-center bg-token-main-surface-primary text-token-text-primary h-8 w-8"><svg class="icon-md" width="41" height="41" viewBox="0 0 41 41" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" role="img"><text x="-9999" y="-9999"></text><path d="M37.5324 16.8707C37.9808 15.5241 38.1363 14.0974 37.9886 12.6859C37.8409 11.2744 37.3934 9.91076 36.676 8.68622C35.6126 6.83404 33.9882 5.3676 32.0373 4.4985C30.0864 3.62941 27.9098 3.40259 25.8215 3.85078C24.8796 2.7893 23.7219 1.94125 22.4257 1.36341C21.1295 0.785575 19.7249 0.491269 18.3058 0.500197C16.1708 0.495044 14.0893 1.16803 12.3614 2.42214C10.6335 3.67624 9.34853 5.44666 8.6917 7.47815C7.30085 7.76286 5.98686 8.3414 4.8377 9.17505C3.68854 10.0087 2.73073 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17.3858 3.30624 15.3413 4.29707 13.6194ZM31.955 20.0556L22.2312 14.4411L25.5976 12.4981C25.6142 12.4872 25.6333 12.4805 25.6531 12.4787C25.6729 12.4769 25.6928 12.4801 25.7111 12.4879L33.7631 17.1364C34.9967 17.849 36.0017 18.8982 36.6606 20.1613C37.3194 21.4244 37.6047 22.849 37.4832 24.2684C37.3617 25.6878 36.8382 27.0432 35.9743 28.1759C35.1103 29.3086 33.9415 30.1717 32.6047 30.6641C32.6047 30.5947 32.6047 30.4733 32.6047 30.3889V21.188C32.6066 20.9586 32.5474 20.7328 32.4332 20.5338C32.319 20.3348 32.154 20.1698 31.955 20.0556ZM35.3055 15.0128C35.2464 14.9765 35.1431 14.9142 35.069 14.8717L27.1045 10.2712C26.906 10.1554 26.6803 10.0943 26.4504 10.0943C26.2206 10.0943 25.9948 10.1554 25.7963 10.2712L16.0726 15.8858V11.9982C16.0715 11.9783 16.0753 11.9585 16.0837 11.9405C16.0921 11.9225 16.1048 11.9068 16.1207 11.8949L24.1719 7.25025C25.4053 6.53903 26.8158 6.19376 28.2383 6.25482C29.6608 6.31589 31.0364 6.78077 32.2044 7.59508C33.3723 8.40939 34.2842 9.53945 34.8334 10.8531C35.3826 12.1667 35.5464 13.6095 35.3055 15.0128ZM14.2424 21.9419L10.8752 19.9981C10.8576 19.9893 10.8423 19.9763 10.8309 19.9602C10.8195 19.9441 10.8122 19.9254 10.8098 19.9058V10.6071C10.8107 9.18295 11.2173 7.78848 11.9819 6.58696C12.7466 5.38544 13.8377 4.42659 15.1275 3.82264C16.4173 3.21869 17.8524 2.99464 19.2649 3.1767C20.6775 3.35876 22.0089 3.93941 23.1034 4.85067C23.0427 4.88379 22.937 4.94215 22.8668 4.98473L14.9024 9.58517C14.7025 9.69878 14.5366 9.86356 14.4215 10.0626C14.3065 10.2616 14.2466 10.4877 14.2479 10.7175L14.2424 21.9419ZM16.071 17.9991L20.4018 15.4978L24.7325 17.9975V22.9985L20.4018 25.4983L16.071 22.9985V17.9991Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></div></div></div></div></div><div class="group/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"><div class="flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3"><div class="flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow"><div class="min-h-8 text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words [.text-message+&]:mt-5" data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="1583144b-b0e6-447e-84af-e4d9e5215ef5" dir="auto" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o"><div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]"><div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert dark"><p>How can the public sector do more with less? We explore productivity trends, government reform and lessons from private sector innovation.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div>3 December 2024
Scottish Budget 2025-26: IFS analysis event 20 February 2025 <p>At this online event, IFS researchers will present their analysis of the Scottish Budget proposals and the wider Scottish tax and spending context.</p>
Did the Education Maintenance Allowance improve outcomes? event 26 February 2025 <p>At this online event IFS researchers will present findings on the effect of the rollout of the Education Maintenance Allowance in England.</p>
IFS residential conference 2025: How do we build a business tax system for the 21st century? conference 3 April 2025 <p>This conference, in association with <a href="https://www.deloitte.co.uk">Deloitte</a>, will discuss the UK business tax system in the context of the new Corporate Tax Roadmap.</p>
Jobs landing page<p>At IFS, we recruit and train top-quality economists and professional support staff. We aim to foster a respectful and inclusive working environment.</p>20 July 2022
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy The Research Centre at the heart of IFS is the CPP.
Spending per pupil or student per year at different stages of education (2024–25 prices) Data Item This chart compares the trends in public spending per student on various stages of education over time in England. 16 January 2025
Total real-terms spending on free entitlement hours in England Data Item Total spending on the free entitlement doubled during the 2000s, and then more than doubled again during the 2010s. 10 January 2025
Growth in real-terms spending on the free entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds Data Item While spending per place and total spending have doubled since 2009, spending per hour is around 23% higher by 2023–24. 10 January 2025
Growth in core hourly funding and providers’ costs for 3- and 4-year-olds and 2-year-olds Data Item Recent years have seen a wedge open up between funding rates and provider costs. 10 January 2025
Share of early education and childcare subsidies targeted at different groups Data Item Support targeted at workers further up the income distribution has grown from a tenth of the overall pot to a third. 10 January 2025
Education in the 2025 Spending Review: impossible choices? Event 8 January 2025 at 10:30 via Slido and YouTube The launch of 2024/25 IFS Annual Report on Education Spending in England, funded by the Nuffield Foundation
Annual report on education spending in England: 2024–25 Report This annual report contains our latest estimates of spending per pupil and resource challenges across different stages of education in England. 8 January 2025
Childcare funding rates largely protected in real terms - with a big uplift for disadvantage premium Comment 2025/26 childcare funding rates offer real-terms protection for the early years budget, with a boost to the funding top-up for disadvantaged children 11 December 2024
The effect of Sure Start on youth misbehaviour, crime and contacts with children’s social care Report This report studies the impact of Sure Start, which supported families of under-5s, on children’s behaviour, youth offending and social care contacts. 23 October 2024
The effect of center-based early education on disadvantaged children’s developmental trajectories: experimental evidence from Colombia Working Paper We study the impacts of high-quality, center-based early childhood education on low income children in Colombia, tracking participants over five years 4 October 2024
How can government reduce child poverty? Podcast We're exploring why there's been an increase in child poverty since 2010 and options the government has to reduce this. 3 October 2024
Free childcare for the under-2s will mean big savings for some parents – but wider impacts are anyone’s guess Comment How might new childcare entitlements for under-2s affect families? Who uses formal childcare already? And will the new entitlements be deliverable? 2 September 2024
Imagine your life at 25: Gender conformity and later-life outcomes Working Paper We analyse thousands of essays written by 11-year-old girls in 1969 to assess conformity with gender norms and its implications for future outcomes. 29 July 2024
Preschool quality and child development Journal article Journal of Political Economy Globally, preschool enrollment has surged, but its quality is often poor. We evaluate strategies to improve quality of public preschools in Colombia. 8 July 2024
Childcare and the early years: what are the new entitlements and how will they be delivered? Explainer IFS Associate Director Christine Farquharson explains. 1 July 2024
What is the two-child limit in benefits? Explainer IFS Associate Director Tom Waters explains. 27 June 2024
Free breakfast clubs in schools: what Labour’s plans would mean for pupils and families Comment Labour’s manifesto promises free breakfast clubs in all primary schools. This comment examines possible benefits and challenges with the policy. 25 June 2024
Labour’s plans to build childcare spaces in schools will nudge the market in a different direction – but not transform it Comment The plans announced today may nudge the childcare market in a different direction – but certainly won’t transform it. 9 June 2024
Conservatives' plan for child benefit withdrawal goes some way to fixing a bizarre system - but misses an opportunity for a more fundamental reshape Comment The Conservative Party has proposed increasing the threshold at which families pay the Child Benefit Tax Charge from £60,000 to £120,000. 6 June 2024
Imagine your life at 25: Gender conformity and later-life outcomes Working Paper We analyse thousands of essays written by 11-year-old girls in 1969 to assess conformity with gender norms and its implications for future outcomes. 24 April 2024