The £600 billion problem awaiting the next government podcastWe speak to David Gauke and Giles Wilkes, two experts who have been at the heart of the spending review process.25 April 2024
Be the Chancellor Our interactive tool lets you be the Chancellor. Change spending plans, set tax policies and see how your choices impact borrowing and debt.
Should we worry about government debt? podcastDavid Miles joins us to discuss high government debt and its impact on the economy. 11 April 2024
IFS Annual Lecture - Innovation and productivity policies: a budgetary perspective event 15 May 2024 Professor Heidi Williams (Dartmouth College) will deliver the 2024 IFS Annual Lecture on innovation and productivity policies.
Higher Education Access and Funding: challenges and policy options conference 14 May 2024 This one-day academic conference will look at access to and funding of Higher Education systems.
Jobs landing pageAt IFS, we recruit and train top-quality economists and professional support staff. We aim to foster a respectful and inclusive working environment.20 July 2022
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy The Research Centre at the heart of IFS is the CPP.
Higher oil & gas revenues boost Scotland’s underlying fiscal position – but a big deficit remains Comment Scotland’s notional fiscal deficit fell by £6 billion (3.8% of GDP) in 2022–23, but was – and is set to remain – much higher than the UK’s. 16 August 2023
How much was spent on public services in your area in 2022-23? Calculator Explore how much funding your area receives for key public services, and whether this funding is in line with patterns of needs 15 August 2023
How much public spending does each area receive? Local authority level estimates of health, police, school and local government spending Report How much funding does each area of England receive for key public services, and is this funding allocated in line with patterns of needs? 15 August 2023
Forecasting is hard enough without basing it on fictional assumptions Comment "The power of both the Bank and the OBR is considerable... transparency and reflection are vital." Paul Johnson writes for the Times. 14 August 2023
Comparing the 2022 system and the 2023 system, 2023 entry cohort Data Item Comparing the 2022 system and the 2023 system, 2023 entry cohort 26 July 2023
Student loans in England explained and options for reform Explainer How does the student loan system currently work in England, what will change for new students in 2023, and what are some of the options for reform? 20 July 2023
Abolishing inheritance tax would leave the country a terrible legacy Comment "I despair." Paul Johnson writes for the Times on the recent debate around abolishing inheritance tax. 17 July 2023
Government publishes new evidence on impacts of income and job protection schemes during the pandemic Comment Robert Joyce discusses some of the main takeaways from the government’s evaluations of the income and job protection schemes during the pandemic. 17 July 2023
Tax, private school fees and state school spending Report This report compares private school fees and state school spending. It also examines Labour’s proposals to remove tax exemptions from private schools. 11 July 2023
A forward look on finance Presentation This LGA 2023 Annual Conference presentation sets out the broad economic and fiscal context and the funding and policy outlook for local government. 5 July 2023
Need, funding and geographic inequalities Presentation This LGA 2023 Annual Conference presentation discusses some key issues with how public service spending is allocated across England. 5 July 2023
Things go swimmingly for those generations who shout the loudest Comment "Right now, it is younger generations who are again bearing the brunt of economic failure." Paul Johnson writes for The Times. 3 July 2023
How progressive is the UK’s £1 trillion in government spending? Explainer Paul Johnson explains how redistributive UK public spending is in 90 seconds. 6 June 2023
Government spending has long been targeted at the poorest in our society Comment Paul Johnson writes for The Times on how taking account of public service spending is critical to assessing the government's redistribution of wealth. 5 June 2023
The distribution of public service spending Report This report for the IFS-Deaton Review looks at how public service spending is distributed across the population in the UK. 31 May 2023
Public service spending has become significantly more progressive since the 1980s Comment Changes in the composition of spending and rising education participation mean public service spending is more progressive than in the 1980s & 1990s. 31 May 2023
An immediate response to the Scottish Government’s MTFS Comment Updated funding and spending projections show a significant funding gap looming for the Scottish Government – and little sense of how to address it. 25 May 2023
As the state gets bigger, taxes will rise. It’s time to be honest about that Comment Winston Churchill, a man of famously expensive habits, believed that income should always be adjusted to meet expenses, and never the other way around 28 April 2023
We must act now to prevent a real pensions crisis developing in future Comment "If we are to avoid sleepwalking into a future much worse than the present, we need to start acting now." Paul Johnson writes for the Times. 24 April 2023
How does school spending per pupil differ across the UK? Report This short report compares the level of school spending per pupil across the four nations of the UK. 21 April 2023
