Displaying 1-10 of 266 results
Chart of the week: UK defence spending
- Article
- 21 May 2026
Our chart this week returns to the subject of defence spending and how the extra money for defence being announced by the government is only a small step on the way to the NATO target of spending 3.5% of GDP.
Chart of the week: car exports and imports
- Article
- 14 May 2026
Our chart this week is on the car market in the UK, showing how most of the cars made in the UK are exported (our third biggest goods export) and most of the new cars registered in the UK are imported (our biggest goods import).
Chart of the week: top 20 military spenders
- Article
- 06 May 2026
Our chart this week is on the 20 countries that incurred the most military expenditure in 2025, starting with the US spending the most at $954bn, followed by China spending $336bn and the UK in sixth place at $89bn (£71bn).
Chart of the week: more people living longer
- Article
- 01 May 2026
Our chart this week looks at how the number of people aged 65 or older is projected to increase by 34% over the next 25 years in contrast with a projected rise of just 1% in the number of working age adults. This will be a major challenge for the UK’s public finances.
Chart of the week: home living
- Article
- 24 Apr 2026
Our chart this week is on how people in the UK still live in broadly the same type of households as they did 25 years ago, despite the population growing by 18% over that time.
Chart of the week: a £3tn economy
- Article
- 17 Apr 2026
Our chart this week is on how GDP for the UK reached £3.0tn for the first time in 2025. This is a 58% increase over the course of a decade, mostly driven by a combination of inflation and a rising population, resulting in a relatively small amount of per capita economic growth.
Chart of the week: international trade
- Article
- 10 Apr 2026
This week’s chart illustrates how a £205bn surplus on trade in services was offset by a £243bn deficit on trade in goods to result in a net trade deficit of £38bn in 2025 – or £16bn if trade in precious metals is excluded.
Chart of the week: the start of a new fiscal year
- Article
- 02 Apr 2026
Our first chart of the financial year starting 1 April 2026 looks at the government’s £1.4tn budget for 2026/27.
Chart of the week: council tax in England 2026/27
- Article
- 27 Mar 2026
Our chart this week celebrates the start of a new financial year by looking at the average level of council tax across England.
Chart of the week: public investment
- Article
- 20 Mar 2026
Our chart this week looks at how public investment in assets is expected to increase over the next couple of years as the government seeks to stimulate the economy and “build build build”.
Displaying 1-10 of 266 results
Each week we publish a chart that illuminates a different aspect of the economy.