Institute for Fiscal Studies

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is Britain’s leading independent microeconomic research institute. Its research remit is one of the broadest in public policy analysis, covering subjects from tax and benefits to education policy, from labour supply to corporate taxation. Our research not only has an impact on policy makers, think tanks and practitioners, it has also gained a worldwide reputation for academic rigour, and contributes to the development of academic scholarship. We communicate our research widely on a national and international scale, providing independent advice to policy makers in the UK, Europe and in developing countries; collaborating with world renowned academics on new economic theories and techniques; and disseminating our research globally through the press, media and the web.

The IFS is non-profit and non-political and receives funding from a range of sources, including the Economic and Social Research Council, UK Government departments, foundations, the European Research Council, international organisations, companies and other non-profit organisations.

The IFS was founded in 1969. In 2018, it was awarded prestigious ‘Institute’ status from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), recognising us as a “global centre of excellence” that has made a significant contribution to the social science landscape. Its Director is Paul Johnson.


Latest reports

2021 annual report on education spending in England

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at the reduction of national income the UK devotes to public spending on education. The cuts to education spending over the last decade are effectively without precedent in post-war UK history, including a 9% real-terms fall in school spending per pupil and a...

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School spending in England

This report from UK think tank the IFS looks at trends over time and future outlook of school spending in England. Following large increases over the 2000s, school spending per pupil in England fell in real terms from about 2010 onwards. The present government sought to reverse this picture in 2019 by providing a three-year...

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Further education and sixth form spending in England

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at the long-term growth in the numbers of young people pursuing education after age 16 Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire education sector has faced a period of unprecedented challenge in seeking to provide remote lessons and support to students....

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The health impacts of Sure Start

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at long-lasting health benefits of Sure Start. New IFS research finds that one of England’s biggest early years programmes delivered long-lasting health benefits for children through their teenage years. Taken together, the savings from reduced hospitalisations up to age 15 offset around 31%...

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Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2021

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at how household incomes were changing in the UK up to the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines how household incomes were changing in the UK up to the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how other measures of household living...

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Upcoming events

11 December 2023

Location: Online

Think tank: Institute for Fiscal Studies

Education spending: an engine for levelling-up?

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal studies will focus on geographic differences in spending across different stages of education. The government has provided increases in education funding in recent years, which has started to reverse past spending cuts. This process has been slowed by the recent spike in inflation, which has...

12 December 2023

Location: Church House Conference Centre, Westminster Deans Yard, London SW1P 3NZ

Think tank: Institute for Fiscal Studies

Social mobility and wealth

At this event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies researchers will share findings from ESRC-funded research on social mobility and its drivers. How does family background shape outcomes in the UK today, and how should policy respond? At this in-person event, IFS researchers will share findings from ESRC-funded research on social...

13 December 2023

Location: Online

Think tank: Institute for Fiscal Studies

Where next for the state pension?

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies will present findings from a major new report on the future of the state pension in the UK. At this online event, IFS researchers will present findings from a major new report on the future of the state pension in the UK, published...