Posts by Rob Kent-Smith

Minding the Gap: Why has UK GDP fallen so sharply in the pandemic?

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Measuring the full economic impact of Covid-19 is a key challenge for the ONS. Some have questioned why the decline we’ve identified in UK GDP is greater than that being reported by other G7economies. Rob Kent-Smith explains the differing trends and measurement practices that have led to this apparent gap.  

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Making it count: How we are introducing ‘double deflation’ into UK GDP

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The ONS has been developing a new, improved method for producing GDP over the last few years. Today the first experimental estimates are being published fully using this new system, which include the much vaunted ‘double deflation’ adjustments to the figures. Here, Rob Kent Smith talks about the new figures and why they are important. 

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Public services: measuring the part they play in the economy through the pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has clearly hit the economy of all countries very hard, with big falls in GDP across the world. The UK has seen the output of its public services, such as health and education, hit harder than many other countries. Here Rob Kent Smith explains how we measure the contribution of these important services and why we’ve seen such big declines.  

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