Summary Welfare statistics are central to public debate about public spending, living standards, labour market participation, and the sustainability of the benefits system. They cover a broad and complex set of sources, each designed to answer different questions, and are used by government, Parliament, journalists, researchers, charities and the public to inform policy, scrutiny and […]
Context and evidence In recent months, we have seen several UK Government ministers, including Hilary Benn and Jess Phillips, claim that Northern Ireland is “the most dangerous place to be a woman”. These statements have attracted significant public and media attention. Given the seriousness of violence against women and girls and the strength of these […]
The performance of the NHS has featured prominently in the current election campaigns for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. This has included various claims about NHS planned care waiting times that measure waiting times for patients, to receive elective treatment. In recent weeks, this debate has included several high-profile claims comparing waiting times statistics between the countries of […]
There continues to be significant public discussion – by both politicians and the media – about crime rates in England and Wales and the reliability of the crime statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). As the UK’s independent statistics regulator, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)’s role is to ensure that official […]
Summary The main statistical output for energy statistics in Scotland is the Quarterly energy statistics Scotland. These are a Scottish cut of the Energy Trends publication produced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) meaning results are comparable between the Scottish output and those for the UK. The publication gives an overview […]
Summary Different measures of poverty capture different things. For example, some measures focus only on household income, others take housing costs into account, and some newer measures being developed are trying to bring in other costs and savings. The most commonly used measures are produced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in its Households Below Average […]
Summary Housing policy is devolved across the United Kingdom, and different policy approaches have been taken by each country to try and meet the housing needs of their individual populations. These differences are typically reflected in the statistics and data produced by each UK nation, but impact comparability between them. Scotland The Scottish Government publishes statistics […]
Summary Measuring economic growth in Wales provides insight into the performance and health of the Welsh economy. Although Wales is part of the UK’s overall economy, several statistics are produced specifically for the Welsh economy, describing regional trends, long term growth, and differences with other parts of the UK. A number of important economic policies […]
Summary Measuring economic growth in Scotland provides insight into the performance and health of the Scottish economy. The Scottish Government publishes quarterly and monthly GDP estimates. The quarterly GDP is the main measure used for reporting on economic growth in Scotland. While monthly GDP reporting provides a more up to date picture, there can be […]
Summary Labour market statistics for the UK, including countries and regions within the UK, are published monthly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Scottish Government and Welsh Government publish their own bulletins drawing on these statistics. The headline measures include the employment and unemployment rates, the number of payrolled employees and the economic […]