Geography

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

We ask why the UK has such large regional divides, how they emerged, and what policymakers can realistically do to fix them.

We analyse the evolution of civil legal aid cases and active providers in England and Wales from 2009 onwards.

We set out the facts on UK inequality, from income and wealth to opportunity, health and place.

We examine the effect of the UK’s ‘Help to Buy’ schemes on housing affordability using a new approach to uncover effects for different households.

Scotland’s child poverty rate is lower than in the rest of the UK – but ambitious 2030 targets are set to be missed

Wales’s employment rate is falling further behind the rest of the UK, posing a challenge for the next Welsh Government

Explore how and where the government spends money, and how this has changed over time, in all regions and nations of the UK

What is council tax support? Who receives it and how much does it affect household incomes?

This comment explores how young workers are matched to firms in local labour markets in England, using the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset

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

The NHS sets pay scales at a national level but competes for staff in labour markets that vary significantly across the country.

At this policy conference, researchers presented new evidence on the scale and causes of regional inequalities and Andy Burnham gave a keynote speech.

Summary of new research on the scale and sources of regional inequalities and policy implications. 

At this online event, IFS researchers will discuss how rising house prices shaped young people’s social mobility.

Pupil numbers are falling rapidly across the UK. This report analyses the choices facing policymakers and past declines in pupil numbers.

The new tax on properties worth £2 million or more in 2026, levied on homeowners from April 2028, will affect London and the South East the most.