How progressive is the UK’s £1 trillion in government spending?

Understand this issue

Public investment: what you need to know

explainer

Everything you wanted to know about UK public investment but were too afraid to ask – including analysis of Labour and Conservative plans.

25 April 2024

The £600 billion problem awaiting the next government

podcast

We speak to David Gauke and Giles Wilkes, two experts who have been at the heart of the spending review process.

25 April 2024

Should we worry about government debt?

podcast

David Miles joins us to discuss high government debt and its impact on the economy.

11 April 2024

Policy analysis

Oil and gas make Scotland’s underlying public finances particularly volatile and uncertain

comment

A fallback in oil and gas prices has hit Scotland’s underlying public finance position this year.

27 March 2024

4.2 million working-age people now claiming health-related benefits, could rise by 30% by the end of the decade

press release

Our new report sheds more light on forecasts for a substantial increase in the number of people claiming health-related benefits in coming years.

19 April 2024

Recent trends in and the outlook for health-related benefits

report

Recipients of and spending on health-related benefits have risen rapidly since the start of the pandemic, posing a serious challenge for policymakers.

19 April 2024

Academic research

6th World Bank/IFS/ODI Public Finance Conference | Driving Progress: Public Finance and Structural Transformation

conference 26 September 2024

We invite researchers from both academic and policy institutions to submit a paper or an extended abstract of two or more pages by April.

The unintended consequences of infrastructure development

working paper

Focusing on the period from 2005 to 2015 in Peru, I investigate the social costs imposed by poor implementation of public infrastructure.

8 May 2024

Call for papers: 5th World Bank/IFS/ODI Research Conference

announcement

Submissions are open until 15th May for the 5th World Bank/IFS/ODI Research Conference on the "Political Economy of Public Finances".

3 April 2023