Economy

What is GDP and how do we measure it?

Craig McLaren
Categories: Data, Economy, Office for National Statistics, ONS
Car Factory Engineer in High Visibility Vest Using Laptop Computer in an Automotive Industrial Manufacturing Facility

Gross Domestic Product, more commonly known as GDP, remains the world’s most closely-watched economic indicator. Its growth – or lack of it – is used to measure economic progress. A positive GDP reading suggests an economy is growing, a negative one that it’s slowing down. But there is much more to GDP that just one number. In this post Craig McLaren is our guide to how GDP is calculated and how it’s best understood.  

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Understanding commuting patterns from Census 2021

Categories: Census, Coronavirus, Economy, Population
London Underground during the pandemic

In March 2021, England and Wales was in the middle of a period of lockdown due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It was also a time when swathes of the workforce were on furlough, while many others were working from home. Today’s census results on the labour market and travel to work are reflective of this period of unparalleled and rapid change.

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A Wealth of data: transforming ONS statistics on income, spending and wealth

Categories: Data, Economy, ONS, Public Policy, Wellbeing
Image of a piggy bank with a coin about to drop in

The ONS produces a range of statistics showing the income, spending and wealth of British households, together forming an important part of the overall picture of the economy. These statistics are a vital source of information for understanding people’s financial wellbeing including the effects from the rising cost of living. Adrian Chesson talks about the consultation launched today on our plans to transform these key statistics.  

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Inclusive measures of growth – How ONS is moving Beyond GDP

Categories: Coronavirus, Economy, Environment, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Public Policy, Wellbeing

GDP is a well-used metric for measuring changes in the size of economies around the world. However, it has its limitations. Richard Heys writes about the continuing developments at the ONS to go beyond GDP by including measures of the impact of growth on people, the climate and environment.

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