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Office for National Statistics

The UK's national statistical institute, publishing official figures on GDP, inflation, employment, household finances and business activity.

Known aliases

  • ONS

Current stories

leadershipOne report1 publisher

Centre for Cities finds higher youth Neet rates in England's smallest places than in its nine biggest cities

Centre for Cities analysis of 2021 census data puts the Neet rate at 15.7% in England's 10 smallest cities and towns, against 13.9% in the nine largest. The gap is 1.8 points, and London and Birmingham still have the most young Neets by count.

Publishers:theguardian.com

Reality

Evidence62
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+8
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence60
leadershipConfirmed3 publishers

OpenAI's London staff averaged £2.3m each in 2025, double the year before

OpenAI UK Ltd's accounts show its 110 London staff averaged £2.3m each in salary and shares in 2025, about double the £1.1m of the year before. The average spans researchers and sales and government affairs staff, so it is a weak guide to what an AI researcher costs.

Perspective Coverage

3 publishers
Builder
Builder 30%
Operator
Operator 37%
Investor
Investor 33%

Reality

Evidence68
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+25
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence70
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Healey promises business-cost relief in his first Budget if it can be funded within it

The UK economy grew 0.1% in August, defying forecasts of a slight contraction, the ONS figures show. Chancellor John Healey is promising relief on business costs in a Budget two weeks away, on the condition that it is paid for inside that Budget.

Publishers:bbc.co.uk

Reality

Evidence68
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+20
Incentives60
Confidence70
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Primark plans home delivery in Britain after holding out through Covid

Primark plans to launch home delivery in Britain, after skipping online sales through Covid and offering only click-and-collect since 2022. Analyst Julie Palmer says a returns policy can "make or break" such a service, and Primark has not said when it starts.

Publishers:bbc.co.uk

Reality

Evidence50
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap
Not scored
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence50
leadershipConfirmed5 publishers

Services revisions help drive UK three-month growth after a flat August

UK GDP grew 0.1% in August, the Office for National Statistics said. The 0.7% three-month growth owes part of its strength to revisions, with the Chancellor's Budget about two weeks away.

Perspective Coverage

5 publishers
Builder
Builder 10%
Operator
Operator 36%
Investor
Investor 54%

Reality

Evidence74
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+8
Incentives55
Confidence72
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Mortgage repayments drive the TUC's £13,961 household bills figure

TUC analysis of official figures says UK households have paid an extra £13,961 on bills since 2021, or £2,792 a year. Almost two-thirds of it is mortgage cost, so the figure measures borrowers more closely than it measures households in general.

Publishers:theguardian.com

Reality

Evidence50
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+25
Incentives75
Confidence55
scienceOne report1 publisher

Young adults who recall warm, playful childhoods report more trust and well-being in three countries

University of Nottingham researchers tie remembered responsive care, free play and a warm home to adult well-being in the UK, US and Japan. Both ends of the link come from participants' own reports, so the study cannot yet separate how people were raised from how they remember it.

Publishers:phys.org

Reality

Evidence40
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+25
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence45
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Channel partners pitch data repair as the answer to Britain's flat AI uptake

UK business take-up of AI tools has risen only 0.2% since 2023, ONS figures show, even though model reliability has improved significantly. An ITPro article argues the gap now turns on channel partners changing their skills and the way they pitch their services.

Publishers:itpro.com

Reality

Evidence25
Adoption15
Hype gap+45
Incentives85
Confidence30
leadershipOne report1 publisher

Money markets added a fourth UK rate rise before July's GDP surprise arrived

The Office for National Statistics put July growth at 0.4% against forecasts of none, and money markets now price Bank rate at 4.75% by July 2027. Oil and the European Central Bank did most of that work.

Publishers:theguardian.com

Reality

Evidence64
Adoption45
Hype gap+20
Incentives55
Confidence68
productOne report1 publisher

Britain's digital infrastructure number tripled by definition, then fell 4 percent

The ONS widened what counts as digital infrastructure to include data centres, hardware and spectrum. The bigger total went backwards in its first year.

Publishers:thenextweb.com

Reality

Evidence61
Adoption68
Hype gap+38
Incentives58
Confidence57