Posts by Jessica Barnaby

How the ONS estimates UK debt to GDP figures

Categories: ONS

One of the ONS’s most watched figures is the level of public sector debt. Complied jointly with HM Treasury, this number is often compared with the overall size of the UK economy (GDP) and presented as a “debt to GDP ratio” to give it proper context. As this figure has recently been hovering around the 100% level, it has received more attention than normal. Jessica Barnaby explains why our initial estimates can sometimes get revised.

Read more on How the ONS estimates UK debt to GDP figures

Down your way: working towards more localised data on public sector spending

Categories: Economy, ONS, Public Policy

Since we introduced the country and regional public sector finances data in 2017, further opportunities have emerged to use alternative data sources to make these statistics more timely. Moreover, data sources and production techniques can help increase the granularity of geographical breakdowns. In this post we look at some improvements we’re working on.

Read more on Down your way: working towards more localised data on public sector spending