Policy area: Economics

Reports

Communities in their places evidence review

This report from UK think tank City-REDI finds that successful interventions require long-term investment, community-led participation and supportive national frameworks. The LPIP Hub 'Communities in their Places' evidence review shows that while communities are central to addressing local economic, social and environmental challenges, their ability to do so varies widely depending on policy frameworks, resources...

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They’re coming home

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation explores the living standards of younger Millennials and Gen Z. This briefing note provides an assessment of the living standards of younger Millennials and Gen Z, given the increasing number of people in their twenties who live with their parents, and what policymakers should do to...

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On morality, human behaviour & economics

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs restates the moral, philosophical and theological case for free-market capitalism. This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs introduces On Morality, Human Behaviour and Economics, a new volume edited by Professor Juan Castañeda and Lord Kamall that restates the moral, philosophical...

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Towards a place-based qualitative data observatory

This report from UK think tank City-REDI responds to Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub work on data devolution, transparency, and place productivity. Building on this existing research, it argues that current UK data infrastructures do not yet accommodate the heterogeneous forms of qualitative data on which local, regional and national policymakers increasingly rely. To...

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Liberalism liberated

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue discusses revitalising a traditional and richer liberalism for a better Britain. Liberals need to fight their critics and contortionists. But liberalism desperately needs a reset too: in its philosophical foundations, in its policymaking and in the leaders who represent it. In particular, the publication argues that liberals...

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Outside-In: The role of social entrepreneurs in public sector transformation

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores the role of social entrepreneurs as 'outside-in' actors in public sector transformation. This policy paper explores the role of social entrepreneurs as “outside-in” actors in public sector transformation. It argues that, in a period of profound institutional transition, public systems need to learn not only from within...

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Everything in its right place

This report from UK think tank Localis explores establishing strong organisations and practices for successful devolution. England is currently undergoing a dual transformation: that of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the expansion of devolution across metropolitan and, increasingly, rural areas. This period of transition will be marked by significant structural changes impacting the organisational culture,...

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Growing up hungry

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation measures UK child food insecurity in 2026. Since the SMF last looked at child food insecurity, the economic landscape has shifted considerably. There have been seismic global conflicts, major domestic political and policy changes, spanning four prime ministers. This research provides an updated view of...

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Saving global economic governance from the ‘Trump shock’

This report from UK think tank Chatham House explores why rules-supporting countries should establish a ‘third pole’ in the global economy, without the US and China. Since Donald Trump took office again in early 2025, his administration’s economic policies – in such areas as trade, energy security, climate change, financial/monetary stability and international aid –...

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Evolutionary economics

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs concludes that prosperity emerges from spontaneous market coordination, not conscious direction. In a new paper, academic Dr Erik Lidström examines the evolutionary mismatch between human hunter-gatherer psychology and the demands of modern capitalist economies. Our brains evolved over two million years for small tribes...

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May 2026 Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker

This report from UK think tank the David Hume Institute explores the results of their quarterly survey data collected just after the Scottish Parliament election. The findings of the first Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker since the Scottish Parliament Election bring into focus the scale of the challenge facing the new MSPs. Despite growing confidence in...

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Uneven cities

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities explores the geography of deprivation in urban Britain. Two-thirds of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK are in cities, even though cities and non-urban areas each account for roughly half of all neighbourhoods. Affluent neighbourhoods, by contrast, are split evenly between urban and non-urban areas.

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China shock 2.0: The cost of Germany’s complacency

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform argues that China’s export-driven growth model poses a challenge to Germany’s manufacturing economy. Germany’s industrial model is under mounting pressure from a second China shock – and Berlin can no longer afford to wait for the problem to correct itself. A new study by...

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Work in progress: getting young people ready for the jobs of the 2030s

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance sets out how the government can ensure young people are ready for the jobs of the 2030s. The UK’s green economy is set to grow rapidly, but young people aren’t being prepared for the careers it will create. Youth unemployment is at a ten year high and...

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See it. Say it. Sort it.

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation sets out how the Government can reset Britain’s economic policy. This briefing note sets out how the Government can reset Britain’s economic policy following disastrous local election results, arguing that an honest assessment of where the country stands is the indispensable starting point for repairing its...

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