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Classroom pack

Government money: where it comes from and where it goes

How much the UK government spends, collects and borrows, what the money goes on, and how to read the big numbers.

Suits: Citizenship, economics, maths and statistics, PSHE. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

SPENT

£1,360bn

2025-26, all public spending, in cash terms.

COLLECTED

£1,209bn

Taxes and other income.

BORROWED

£151bn

Spending minus money collected.

DEBT

£2,924bn

94% of the economy (2025-26).

Words to know

Tax: Money people and companies must pay to the government.
Deficit: The gap in one year when the government spends more than it collects.
National debt: All past borrowing added up.
Cash terms: Figures not adjusted for rising prices.
GDP: The value of everything the economy produces in a year.
Per person: A total divided by the number of people.

Charts

Government spending
% of the economy. Government spending as a share of the economy. 2006-07 to 2025-26.

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances · CSV · Make a slide

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances

Money collected
% of the economy. Money collected as a share of the economy. 2006-07 to 2025-26.

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances · CSV · Make a slide

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances

Borrowing
% of the economy. Borrowing as a share of the economy. 2006-07 to 2025-26.

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances · CSV · Make a slide

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances

National debt, share of the economy
% of GDP. Debt as a share of the economy, by month. September 2016 to August 2026.

Source: ONS, public sector finances · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, public sector finances

Where the money went, 2025-26
£ billion. The ten headings the Treasury uses, biggest first.

Social protection£407bn

Health£258bn

General public services£166bn

Education£126bn

Economic affairs£94bn

Defence£65bn

Public order and safety£56bn

Housing and community amenities£22bn

Environment protection£19bn

Recreation, culture and religion£15bn

Source: HM Treasury · CSV

Source: HM Treasury

Spending by group, £ billion

Group	2024-25	2025-26	Change	Share of 2025-26
Social protection	386.3	407.3	↑ Up 5.4%	29.9%
Health	242.4	257.5	↑ Up 6.2%	18.9%
General public services	160.2	165.5	↑ Up 3.3%	12.2%
Education	123.0	125.7	↑ Up 2.2%	9.2%
Economic affairs	88.0	94.0	↑ Up 6.8%	6.9%
Defence	63.7	65.4	↑ Up 2.7%	4.8%
Public order and safety	51.8	55.7	↑ Up 7.5%	4.1%
Housing and community amenities	21.7	22.5	↑ Up 3.7%	1.7%
Environment protection	17.3	19.2	↑ Up 11.0%	1.4%
Recreation, culture and religion	13.6	15.1	↑ Up 11.0%	1.1%

Cash terms, not adjusted for prices. Groups follow the Treasury’s own headings; ‘general public services’ includes debt interest.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
How much did the government spend in 2025-26? Write the figure in words.
Answer. £1,360.1bn, which is about £1.36 trillion.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which group of spending was the biggest, and how much was spent on it?
Answer. Social protection: £407.3bn. The second biggest was health, at £257.5bn.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Did the government collect more or less money than it spent in 2025-26? By how much?
Answer. Less. It collected £1,208.8bn and spent £1,360.1bn, so it spent £151.3bn more than it collected.
Ages 11–14 Calculate: work something out
About 69.5 million people live in the UK. Roughly how much was spent for every person?
Answer. £1,360.1bn divided by 69.5 million is about £19,574 each. Rounded, £19,600.
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
Borrowing is the gap in one year. What do you think the ‘national debt’ means?
Answer. The national debt is all the past borrowing added up, less what has been paid back. The UK’s was £2,924bn (94% of the economy) in 2025-26.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
What percentage of all spending in 2025-26 went on health? Give your answer to the nearest whole number.
Answer. 257.5 ÷ 1360.1 × 100 = 18.9%, so about 19%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Pensions and benefits (social protection) and health together: what fraction of all spending is that?
Answer. (407.3 + 257.5) ÷ 1360.1 = 49%, close to half.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Defence spending was £63.7bn in 2024-25 and £65.4bn in 2025-26. What is the percentage change?
Answer. (65.4 − 63.7) ÷ 63.7 × 100 = +2.7%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Borrowing as a percentage of spending: what share of the year’s spending was paid for by borrowing?
Answer. 151.3 ÷ 1360.1 × 100 = 11.1%.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Look at the chart of spending as a share of the economy. In which of the last 20 years was it highest, and what was the figure?
Answer. 2020-21, at 52.3% of the economy. (Ask: what was happening then? Big rises often match recessions or emergencies.)
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
Spending figures in pounds are ‘cash terms’. Why can comparing cash figures from ten years ago mislead?
Answer. Prices have risen, so the same number of pounds buys less than it used to. Spending that looks much bigger may be similar once prices are allowed for. Showing spending as a share of the economy is one way round this.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
Use the figures to explain the difference between the deficit and the debt.
Answer. The deficit is one year’s gap: £151.3bn in 2025-26. The debt is the total built up over many years: £2,924bn. A deficit adds to the debt; a surplus would reduce it.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
Debt is 94% of GDP. Why do economists compare debt with GDP rather than quoting pounds?
Answer. The same pounds are a bigger burden for a small economy than a big one, and incomes grow over time, so a ratio shows whether debt is heavy relative to what the country earns. It still says nothing about interest rates or what the borrowing paid for.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
Interest on the debt cost £130.3bn in 2025-26. What share of all spending is that, and how does it compare with other groups?
Answer. 130.3 ÷ 1360.1 = 9.6% of spending, or about £1,875 per person. It is more than the whole budget for defence, public order and safety, economic affairs.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
A government can pay for spending by raising tax or by borrowing. Give one argument for each and one risk of each. What evidence would you need to decide?
Answer. Open question. Look for: tax takes money from people now but is cheaper long term; borrowing spreads the cost over time but adds interest and may be hard to repay if rates rise. Evidence: interest rates, growth, what the money buys, who pays.

Ideas for discussion

Is it fair to call borrowing ‘good’ or ‘bad’? What would you need to know?
Which would you protect if money were tight: pensions, health, education or defence? Why? What would you give up?
Why might two people look at the same spending chart and disagree about whether the government spends too much?

Answer sheet: Government money

Find. £1,360.1bn, which is about £1.36 trillion.
Find. Social protection: £407.3bn. The second biggest was health, at £257.5bn.
Find. Less. It collected £1,208.8bn and spent £1,360.1bn, so it spent £151.3bn more than it collected.
Calculate. £1,360.1bn divided by 69.5 million is about £19,574 each. Rounded, £19,600.
Explain. The national debt is all the past borrowing added up, less what has been paid back. The UK’s was £2,924bn (94% of the economy) in 2025-26.
Calculate. 257.5 ÷ 1360.1 × 100 = 18.9%, so about 19%.
Calculate. (407.3 + 257.5) ÷ 1360.1 = 49%, close to half.
Calculate. (65.4 − 63.7) ÷ 63.7 × 100 = +2.7%.
Calculate. 151.3 ÷ 1360.1 × 100 = 11.1%.
Find. 2020-21, at 52.3% of the economy. (Ask: what was happening then? Big rises often match recessions or emergencies.)
Explain. Prices have risen, so the same number of pounds buys less than it used to. Spending that looks much bigger may be similar once prices are allowed for. Showing spending as a share of the economy is one way round this.
Explain. The deficit is one year’s gap: £151.3bn in 2025-26. The debt is the total built up over many years: £2,924bn. A deficit adds to the debt; a surplus would reduce it.
Judge. The same pounds are a bigger burden for a small economy than a big one, and incomes grow over time, so a ratio shows whether debt is heavy relative to what the country earns. It still says nothing about interest rates or what the borrowing paid for.
Calculate. 130.3 ÷ 1360.1 = 9.6% of spending, or about £1,875 per person. It is more than the whole budget for defence, public order and safety, economic affairs.
Discuss. Open question. Look for: tax takes money from people now but is cheaper long term; borrowing spreads the cost over time but adds interest and may be hard to repay if rates rise. Evidence: interest rates, growth, what the money buys, who pays.

Sources: HM Treasury (Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, Public Sector Finances), ONS. See also: Where the money goes · Government spending · National debt · Spending per person.

Classroom pack

Tax: who pays what

The five big taxes, how much each raises, and how to work out shares, changes and what ‘fair’ might mean.

Suits: Citizenship, economics, maths, PSHE. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

INCOME TAX

£327bn

2025-26. The biggest tax.

NATIONAL INSURANCE

£201bn

Paid on pay by workers and employers.

VAT

£180bn

Added to most things people buy.

PER PERSON, ALL FIVE

£13,496

Average tax from these five taxes for each person in the UK.

Words to know

Income tax: Tax on pay, pensions and some other income.
National Insurance: A tax on pay that builds entitlement to some benefits and the state pension.
VAT: Value Added Tax: a tax on most goods and services, added to the price.
Progressive tax: One where people with more income pay a bigger share of it.
Receipts: Money the government actually received.
Tax band: A slice of income taxed at one rate.

Charts

Money collected
% of the economy. All money collected, as a share of the economy. 2006-07 to 2025-26.

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances · CSV · Make a slide

Source: HM Treasury (PESA), HMRC and ONS public sector finances

The five big taxes, 2025-26
£ billion. Money raised by each tax.

Income tax£327bn

National Insurance£201bn

VAT£180bn

Corporation tax£95bn

Fuel duty£25bn

Source: HMRC

Money raised by each tax, £ billion

Tax	2024-25	2025-26	Change	Share of these five
Income tax	302.8	326.9	↑ Up 8.0%	35%
National Insurance	172.5	200.8	↑ Up 16.4%	21%
VAT	171.0	179.9	↑ Up 5.2%	19%
Corporation tax	90.9	95.1	↑ Up 4.6%	10%
Fuel duty	24.4	24.6	↑ Up 0.8%	3%

Cash terms. These five taxes are HMRC receipts; the government also collects council tax, business rates and other income.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which tax raised the most money in 2025-26, and how much?
Answer. Income tax: £326.9bn. Next was national insurance (£200.8bn).
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Name the five taxes in the table and put them in order, biggest first.
Answer. Income tax (£327bn), National Insurance (£201bn), VAT (£180bn), Corporation tax (£95bn), Fuel duty (£25bn).
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
Income tax is taken from pay. VAT is added to what you buy. Give one thing you buy that has VAT on it and one that does not.
Answer. Examples with VAT: clothes for adults, most electronics, restaurant meals. Usually no VAT: most food from shops, children’s clothes, books, public transport fares.
Ages 11–14 Calculate: work something out
VAT raised £179.9bn and about 69.5 million people live in the UK. About how much VAT is that for each person?
Answer. 179.9 billion ÷ 69.5 million = about £2,589 each. (Companies and the government also pay VAT, so this is an average, not a bill.)
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
What percentage of these five taxes’ total (£937.8bn) came from income tax?
Answer. 326.9 ÷ 937.8 × 100 = 34.9%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
The three biggest taxes together: what share of the total do they raise?
Answer. Income tax, National Insurance, VAT: 707.6 ÷ 937.8 = 75%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Income tax raised £302.8bn in 2024-25 and £326.9bn in 2025-26. Work out the percentage change.
Answer. (326.9 − 302.8) ÷ 302.8 × 100 = +8.0%.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
Income tax receipts rose by more than a few per cent. Give two reasons receipts can rise without the government raising the tax rate.
Answer. Pay rises push more income into taxable bands; more people are working; allowances and thresholds that stay frozen pull more of people’s pay into tax (‘fiscal drag’); profits and bonuses can rise.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
National Insurance raised £200.8bn. Is that more or less than VAT, and by how much?
Answer. More: 21.0 billion more than VAT (£179.9bn).
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
In 2025 to 2026, about 1.22 million people paid income tax at the additional rate out of 39.8 million taxpayers. What share of taxpayers is that, and what share of all income tax do they pay?
Answer. 3.1% of taxpayers pay 40% of income tax (£131bn of £329bn). (HMRC estimate for the year, from a survey.)
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
Those figures show a small group paying a large share of income tax. Does that show the system is fair or unfair? What else would you need to know?
Answer. It does not decide it by itself. It shows the tax is progressive (higher incomes pay a higher rate). To judge fairness you would need to know what share of total income this group earns, what other taxes they and others pay, and what people think fairness means.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
A tax is ‘progressive’ if people with higher incomes pay a bigger share of their income. Is VAT progressive? Use an example.
Answer. VAT is usually regressive: people on lower incomes spend most of what they earn, so VAT takes a bigger share of their income than of a high earner’s, who can save more. Zero rates on food and children’s clothes soften this.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
Suggest one tax the government could raise and one it could cut. For each, say who gains and who loses.
Answer. Open question. A good answer names who pays, what behaviour might change, and a trade-off. Check the answer uses the figures above to say how much money is at stake.

Ideas for discussion

Should people pay more tax when they earn more, or the same amount? Why?
Which tax would you find easiest to avoid, and what should a government do about it?
If a tax rises, who really pays it: the person it is aimed at or someone else?

Answer sheet: Tax

Find. Income tax: £326.9bn. Next was national insurance (£200.8bn).
Find. Income tax (£327bn), National Insurance (£201bn), VAT (£180bn), Corporation tax (£95bn), Fuel duty (£25bn).
Explain. Examples with VAT: clothes for adults, most electronics, restaurant meals. Usually no VAT: most food from shops, children’s clothes, books, public transport fares.
Calculate. 179.9 billion ÷ 69.5 million = about £2,589 each. (Companies and the government also pay VAT, so this is an average, not a bill.)
Calculate. 326.9 ÷ 937.8 × 100 = 34.9%.
Calculate. Income tax, National Insurance, VAT: 707.6 ÷ 937.8 = 75%.
Calculate. (326.9 − 302.8) ÷ 302.8 × 100 = +8.0%.
Explain. Pay rises push more income into taxable bands; more people are working; allowances and thresholds that stay frozen pull more of people’s pay into tax (‘fiscal drag’); profits and bonuses can rise.
Find. More: 21.0 billion more than VAT (£179.9bn).
Calculate. 3.1% of taxpayers pay 40% of income tax (£131bn of £329bn). (HMRC estimate for the year, from a survey.)
Judge. It does not decide it by itself. It shows the tax is progressive (higher incomes pay a higher rate). To judge fairness you would need to know what share of total income this group earns, what other taxes they and others pay, and what people think fairness means.
Explain. VAT is usually regressive: people on lower incomes spend most of what they earn, so VAT takes a bigger share of their income than of a high earner’s, who can save more. Zero rates on food and children’s clothes soften this.
Discuss. Open question. A good answer names who pays, what behaviour might change, and a trade-off. Check the answer uses the figures above to say how much money is at stake.

Sources: HMRC (Tax receipts and National Insurance contributions), HM Treasury. See also: Where does my tax go? · Tax receipts · Government finances.

Classroom pack

Prices, pay and house prices

What inflation means, whether pay keeps up, and what has happened to the cost of homes, with the calculations to check each claim.

Suits: Economics, maths and statistics, citizenship, PSHE. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

PRICES, YEARLY RATE

3.1%

August 2026. A year earlier 3.8%.

AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS

£756

July 2026, all employees, before tax.

TYPICAL FULL-TIME PAY

£767

A week, UK median, 2025.

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE

£272,611

July 2026.

Words to know

Inflation: How much higher prices are than a year earlier.
CPI: Consumer Prices Index: the official measure of inflation, from a basket of what households buy.
Real terms: Adjusted for inflation, so you can compare what money buys.
Median: The middle value when everything is put in order.
Mean: The total divided by the number of items: what most people call the average.
Percentage points: The difference between two percentages.

Charts

Price inflation (CPI), yearly rate
% a year. The yearly rate of inflation, by month. September 2016 to August 2026.

Source: ONS, Consumer Price Index · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, Consumer Price Index

Average weekly earnings growth
% change on the same month a year earlier. Growth in average weekly earnings on a year earlier. August 2016 to July 2026.

Source: ONS, Average Weekly Earnings · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, Average Weekly Earnings

Average UK house price
£. The average UK house price, by month. August 2016 to July 2026.

Source: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index · CSV · Make a slide

Source: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index

Inflation and earnings, last twelve months

Month	Inflation (yearly rate)	Average weekly earnings
August 2026	3.1%	–
July 2026	2.9%	£756
June 2026	2.6%	£756
May 2026	2.8%	£751
April 2026	2.8%	£753
March 2026	3.3%	£756
February 2026	3.0%	£746
January 2026	3.0%	£743
December 2025	3.4%	£738
November 2025	3.2%	£739
October 2025	3.6%	£739
September 2025	3.8%	£734

Earnings are in cash terms, before tax.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What was the inflation rate in August 2026?
Answer. 3.1% a year: prices were 3.1% higher than a year before.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
A year earlier (August 2025) the rate was 3.8%. Is the rate now higher or lower? By how many percentage points?
Answer. Lower by 0.7 percentage points (3.1 − 3.8).
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
If the inflation rate falls from 4% to 3%, are prices falling? Explain.
Answer. No. Prices are still rising, only more slowly. Prices would fall only if the rate went below zero (deflation).
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What was the average UK house price in July 2026?
Answer. £272,611.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What is the typical full-time weekly pay in 2025?
Answer. £767 a week (the middle full-time worker, before tax).
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Prices rose 3.1% over the year. A basket of shopping cost £100 a year ago. What does it cost now?
Answer. £100 × 1.031 = £103.10.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
The highest rate in the last twelve months was 3.8% (August 2025) and the lowest 2.6% (June 2026). What is the range?
Answer. 3.8 − 2.6 = 1.2 percentage points.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
The average house price was £198,169 in July 2016 and £272,611 in July 2026. Work out the percentage increase.
Answer. (272,611 − 198,169) ÷ 198,169 × 100 = 38%.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
Average weekly earnings and typical full-time pay are different numbers (£756 and £767). Why might two ‘pay’ figures differ?
Answer. They measure different things. Average weekly earnings is a mean of all employees (including part-time, with bonuses), from a monthly business survey. Typical full-time pay is the median (middle) of full-time workers, from a yearly survey. A few high earners pull a mean up.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
Earnings grew 3.7% in the year to July 2026 and prices 2.9% over the same year. Work out the real change in earnings.
Answer. (1 + 0.037) ÷ (1 + 0.029) − 1 = +0.8%. Pay rose faster than prices. (A quick estimate is +0.8 points.)
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
A newspaper says ‘wages are rising faster than inflation, so everyone is better off’. Give two reasons this might not be true.
Answer. Averages hide differences: some people’s pay rose less, and their own prices (rent, energy, travel) may have risen more than the average. Pay is before tax, benefits and housing costs; the average is dragged up by high earners; one year is not a trend.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
Why might a house price index be ‘adjusted for the mix of homes sold’?
Answer. If more expensive homes happen to be sold in one month, the raw average would jump without any price rising. Adjusting for the mix compares like with like.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
The Consumer Prices Index was 139.3 in August 2025 and 143.6 in August 2026. Show that the yearly rate is about 3.1%.
Answer. (143.6 − 139.3) ÷ 139.3 × 100 = 3.1%. Index figures are rounded, so this matches 3.1% closely.

Ideas for discussion

Is inflation the same for everyone? Who might be hit harder, and why?
If you were negotiating pay, which figure would you quote: average, median or the inflation rate? Why?
Would you rather prices rose slowly or stayed the same? What are the trade-offs?

Answer sheet: Prices, pay and house prices

Find. 3.1% a year: prices were 3.1% higher than a year before.
Find. Lower by 0.7 percentage points (3.1 − 3.8).
Explain. No. Prices are still rising, only more slowly. Prices would fall only if the rate went below zero (deflation).
Find. £272,611.
Find. £767 a week (the middle full-time worker, before tax).
Calculate. £100 × 1.031 = £103.10.
Calculate. 3.8 − 2.6 = 1.2 percentage points.
Calculate. (272,611 − 198,169) ÷ 198,169 × 100 = 38%.
Explain. They measure different things. Average weekly earnings is a mean of all employees (including part-time, with bonuses), from a monthly business survey. Typical full-time pay is the median (middle) of full-time workers, from a yearly survey. A few high earners pull a mean up.
Calculate. (1 + 0.037) ÷ (1 + 0.029) − 1 = +0.8%. Pay rose faster than prices. (A quick estimate is +0.8 points.)
Judge. Averages hide differences: some people’s pay rose less, and their own prices (rent, energy, travel) may have risen more than the average. Pay is before tax, benefits and housing costs; the average is dragged up by high earners; one year is not a trend.
Explain. If more expensive homes happen to be sold in one month, the raw average would jump without any price rising. Adjusting for the mix compares like with like.
Calculate. (143.6 − 139.3) ÷ 139.3 × 100 = 3.1%. Index figures are rounded, so this matches 3.1% closely.

Sources: ONS (Consumer Prices Index, Average Weekly Earnings, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, UK House Price Index). See also: Inflation · Pay against prices · House prices · What was my money worth?.

Classroom pack

Jobs and the economy

Who is working, who is looking for work, and how fast the economy is growing, and how to read rates, quarters and percentage points.

Suits: Economics, maths and statistics, citizenship, careers. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

UNEMPLOYMENT

4.9%

Three months to July 2026.

EMPLOYMENT

75.1%

People aged 16 to 64 in work.

INACTIVE

20.9%

Aged 16 to 64, not working or looking.

GROWTH, LATEST QUARTER

0.4%

Q2 2026. 1.4% on a year earlier.

Words to know

Unemployment rate: People without a job who are looking and could start, as a share of everyone in work or looking.
Employment rate: The share of people aged 16 to 64 in paid work.
Economically inactive: Not working and not looking for work.
GDP: The value of everything produced in the economy.
Quarter: A three-month period; the economy is measured each quarter.
Claimant count: People claiming benefits mainly for being unemployed.

Charts

Unemployment rate
% of people aged 16 and over, three months to the month shown. Unemployment rate, three-month averages. August 2016 to July 2026.

Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey

Employment rate
% of people aged 16 to 64, three months to the month shown. Employment rate, people aged 16–64. August 2016 to July 2026.

Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey

Economic growth, year on year
% change on the same quarter a year earlier. Economic growth on the same quarter a year earlier. Q3 2016 to Q2 2026.

Source: ONS, GDP quarterly national accounts · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, GDP quarterly national accounts

Claiming unemployment-related benefits
% of people aged 16-64. People claiming unemployment-related benefits, as a share of those aged 16–64. September 2016 to August 2026.

Source: ONS and DWP, claimant count, via Nomis · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS and DWP, claimant count, via Nomis

Work, last twelve months

Three months to	Unemployment	Employment	Inactive
July 2026	4.9%	75.1%	20.9%
June 2026	4.9%	75.1%	20.9%
May 2026	4.9%	75.1%	20.9%
April 2026	4.9%	75.1%	21.0%
March 2026	5.0%	75.0%	20.9%
February 2026	4.9%	75.0%	21.0%
January 2026	5.2%	75.1%	20.7%
December 2025	5.2%	75.0%	20.9%
November 2025	5.1%	75.1%	20.8%
October 2025	5.1%	74.9%	21.0%
September 2025	5.0%	75.1%	20.9%
August 2025	4.8%	75.1%	21.0%

Survey estimates, three-month averages, people aged 16+ (unemployment) and 16–64 (employment and inactivity).

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What was the unemployment rate in the three months to July 2026?
Answer. 4.9%.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What share of people aged 16 to 64 were in paid work?
Answer. 75.1% (the employment rate).
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
What is the difference between being unemployed and being ‘economically inactive’?
Answer. Unemployed people have no job but are looking for one and could start. Inactive people are not working and not looking, for example full-time students, carers or people who are ill.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
By how much did the economy grow in Q2 2026 compared with the quarter before?
Answer. 0.4%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
If 75.1% of people aged 16–64 are working and 20.9% are inactive, what percentage are neither of these (so unemployed or otherwise counted)?
Answer. 4.0%: 100 − 75.1 − 20.9. This is roughly the unemployed as a share of all those aged 16–64.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Unemployment was 4.7% a year earlier and is 4.9% now. Describe the change in percentage points and as a percentage.
Answer. +0.2 percentage points. As a percentage change that is +4.3% (4.9 − 4.7) ÷ 4.7). The two ways of saying it sound very different, so be clear which you mean.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Using the chart, what was the highest and lowest unemployment rate in the last ten years?
Answer. Highest: 5.3% (December 2020). Lowest: 3.6% (July 2022).
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Redundancies were 114 thousand in the three months to July 2026. Roughly how many people is that a week? (A quarter is about 13 weeks.)
Answer. 114,000 ÷ 13 = about 8,769 people a week. Most people made redundant find other work.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
The claimant rate (3.9%) is different from the unemployment rate (4.9%). Give two reasons.
Answer. The claimant count only counts people claiming certain benefits; some unemployed people don’t claim, and some claimants are in low-paid work. The survey rate counts everyone who is out of work and looking, whether or not they claim. They also cover different age groups.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
GDP grew 0.4% in one quarter. If it grew at that rate for four quarters in a row, what would the yearly growth be?
Answer. (1 + 0.0040)⁴ − 1 = 1.6%. Actual yearly growth was 1.4%, because quarters differ.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
The economy’s output was £734bn four quarters ago and is £744bn now. Show that this is about 1.4% growth.
Answer. (744 − 734) ÷ 734 × 100 = 1.4%.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
A headline says ‘unemployment is low, so the labour market is healthy’. What else would you want to know?
Answer. Pay and whether it keeps up with prices; how many people are inactive or underemployed (want more hours); the type and security of jobs; and differences by area, age and sector. The survey rate also has a margin of error.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
GDP can rise while many households feel no better off. Give two reasons.
Answer. Gains may go to a few; population growth spreads output across more people; prices may rise faster than pay; GDP does not count unpaid work or wellbeing.

Ideas for discussion

What does ‘a good job’ mean to you? Can official statistics measure it?
If unemployment falls because people stop looking for work, is that good news? How would you spot it?
Who benefits when the economy grows, and who might not?

Answer sheet: Jobs and the economy

Find. 4.9%.
Find. 75.1% (the employment rate).
Explain. Unemployed people have no job but are looking for one and could start. Inactive people are not working and not looking, for example full-time students, carers or people who are ill.
Find. 0.4%.
Calculate. 4.0%: 100 − 75.1 − 20.9. This is roughly the unemployed as a share of all those aged 16–64.
Calculate. +0.2 percentage points. As a percentage change that is +4.3% (4.9 − 4.7) ÷ 4.7). The two ways of saying it sound very different, so be clear which you mean.
Find. Highest: 5.3% (December 2020). Lowest: 3.6% (July 2022).
Calculate. 114,000 ÷ 13 = about 8,769 people a week. Most people made redundant find other work.
Explain. The claimant count only counts people claiming certain benefits; some unemployed people don’t claim, and some claimants are in low-paid work. The survey rate counts everyone who is out of work and looking, whether or not they claim. They also cover different age groups.
Calculate. (1 + 0.0040)⁴ − 1 = 1.6%. Actual yearly growth was 1.4%, because quarters differ.
Calculate. (744 − 734) ÷ 734 × 100 = 1.4%.
Judge. Pay and whether it keeps up with prices; how many people are inactive or underemployed (want more hours); the type and security of jobs; and differences by area, age and sector. The survey rate also has a margin of error.
Explain. Gains may go to a few; population growth spreads output across more people; prices may rise faster than pay; GDP does not count unpaid work or wellbeing.

Sources: ONS (Labour Force Survey, GDP quarterly national accounts), DWP and ONS via Nomis (claimant count). See also: Unemployment · Economic growth · Jobs and growth · Your area.

Classroom pack

Health services and waiting times

How long people wait for NHS care in England, how the waiting standards work, and how to compare places fairly.

Suits: PSHE, biology and health, maths and statistics, citizenship. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

WAITING LIST

7.1m

Treatments, England, July 2026.

UNDER 18 WEEKS

65%

The standard is 92%.

A&E IN FOUR HOURS

75%

The standard is 95%.

AMBULANCE, HEART ATTACK OR STROKE

29 min

Average response. The standard is 18 minutes.

Words to know

Waiting list: Treatments waiting to start after a referral.
Standard: A target the NHS is expected to meet.
Median: The middle value of everyone’s wait so far.
A&E: Accident and emergency department.
Integrated care board: One of the NHS areas that plans care locally in England.
England only: Each UK nation measures waits its own way.

Charts

Waiting for hospital treatment
millions of treatments. Treatments waiting to start, England, in millions. July 2016 to July 2026.

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England · CSV · Make a slide

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England

Seen within 18 weeks
% of people waiting. Share of people waiting who have waited under 18 weeks. July 2016 to July 2026.

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England · CSV · Make a slide

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England

A&E: seen within four hours
% of attendances, all types of department. Share of A&E patients seen within four hours. April 2020 to August 2026.

Source: NHS England, A&E attendances and emergency admissions · CSV · Make a slide

Source: NHS England, A&E attendances and emergency admissions

Ambulance response: emergencies such as heart attack and stroke (Category 2)
average minutes. Average ambulance response to heart attacks and strokes, in minutes. January 2020 to August 2026.

Source: NHS England, Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS) · CSV · Make a slide

Source: NHS England, Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS)

Share seen within 18 weeks, five best and five worst NHS areas, July 2026
% of people waiting. The NHS standard is 92%.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly74%

North East and North Cumbria73%

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire72%

Gloucestershire72%

West Yorkshire70%

Greater Manchester63%

Lincolnshire62%

Humber and North Yorkshire61%

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland61%

Essex55%

Source: NHS England

Five NHS areas with the shortest and longest waits, July 2026

NHS area	Treatments waiting	Under 18 weeks	Middle wait
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly	53,097	74%	9 weeks
North East and North Cumbria	373,390	73%	10 weeks
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire	94,419	72%	10 weeks
Gloucestershire	76,514	72%	11 weeks
West Yorkshire	238,444	70%	10 weeks
Greater Manchester	405,139	63%	13 weeks
Lincolnshire	109,453	62%	13 weeks
Humber and North Yorkshire	223,892	61%	13 weeks
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland	132,973	61%	14 weeks
Essex	280,891	55%	15 weeks

Top five and bottom five of 36 NHS areas by share seen within 18 weeks.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
How many hospital treatments were waiting to start in England in July 2026?
Answer. 7.1 million.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What is the NHS standard for the share of people who should start treatment within 18 weeks? What share actually did?
Answer. The standard is 92%. In July 2026, 65% had waited under 18 weeks.
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
The waiting list counts ‘treatments’, not ‘people’. Why might the number of people be lower?
Answer. One person can be waiting for more than one treatment, for example two operations, so the list counts each separately.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
In August 2026, what share of people at A&E were seen within four hours? What is the standard?
Answer. 75% were seen within four hours; the standard is 95%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
There are 7,131,685 treatments waiting and 4,657,059 have waited under 18 weeks. Show that this is 65%.
Answer. 4,657,059 ÷ 7,131,685 × 100 = 65.3%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
The list was 5.5 million in June 2021 and 7.3 million in July 2026. Find the change and the percentage change.
Answer. +1.9 million, which is +34%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
How many more people would need to be seen within 18 weeks to reach the 92% standard? (Assume the list stays the same size.)
Answer. 92% of 7,131,685 = 6,561,150. 1,904,091 more would need to have waited under 18 weeks.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Ambulances took 28.9 minutes on average for heart attacks and strokes in August 2026. The standard is 18 minutes. How many minutes over is that?
Answer. +10.9 minutes (28.9 − 18). For life-threatening emergencies the average was 7.9 minutes against a 7-minute standard.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
The ‘median wait so far’ is 12 weeks. Why is this not the same as how long a new patient will wait?
Answer. It measures how long people on the list have waited so far, and many are still waiting. A new patient’s wait depends on how fast the list is cleared, so it cannot be read off the median.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
Across NHS areas, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had 74% seen within 18 weeks and Essex had 55%. What is the gap, and what might explain differences between areas?
Answer. 18 percentage points. Possible reasons: population age and health, how many hospitals and staff, how urgent the cases are, how the lists are managed. The data alone cannot say which.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
A report says ‘A&E waits are getting worse’. Which two measures would you check, and what could make the picture look better or worse than it is?
Answer. Check the four-hour measure (75%) and 12-hour waits (44,951 patients in August 2026). Attendances can rise, definitions have changed over time, and the 12-hour measure starts at the decision to admit, not arrival.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
Waiting-time targets can change what hospitals do. Give one benefit and one risk of having a target.
Answer. Open question. Benefits: clear goal, public accountability. Risks: effort goes to what is measured, people just over or under the line may be treated differently, and the target may not reflect what patients most need.

Ideas for discussion

Is it fair to compare two hospitals’ waiting times without knowing about their patients?
Who should decide what the waiting standards are: doctors, politicians or patients?
What would you need to know to say whether the NHS is ‘getting better’?

Answer sheet: Health services and waiting times

Find. 7.1 million.
Find. The standard is 92%. In July 2026, 65% had waited under 18 weeks.
Explain. One person can be waiting for more than one treatment, for example two operations, so the list counts each separately.
Find. 75% were seen within four hours; the standard is 95%.
Calculate. 4,657,059 ÷ 7,131,685 × 100 = 65.3%.
Calculate. +1.9 million, which is +34%.
Calculate. 92% of 7,131,685 = 6,561,150. 1,904,091 more would need to have waited under 18 weeks.
Find. +10.9 minutes (28.9 − 18). For life-threatening emergencies the average was 7.9 minutes against a 7-minute standard.
Explain. It measures how long people on the list have waited so far, and many are still waiting. A new patient’s wait depends on how fast the list is cleared, so it cannot be read off the median.
Calculate. 18 percentage points. Possible reasons: population age and health, how many hospitals and staff, how urgent the cases are, how the lists are managed. The data alone cannot say which.
Judge. Check the four-hour measure (75%) and 12-hour waits (44,951 patients in August 2026). Attendances can rise, definitions have changed over time, and the 12-hour measure starts at the decision to admit, not arrival.
Discuss. Open question. Benefits: clear goal, public accountability. Risks: effort goes to what is measured, people just over or under the line may be treated differently, and the target may not reflect what patients most need.

Sources: NHS England (Referral to Treatment waiting times, A&E attendances, Ambulance Quality Indicators). See also: Health services · The waiting list · NHS waits near me · Every NHS area.

Classroom pack

Parliament and elections

Who sits in the House of Commons, how the 2024 election turned votes into seats, and what majorities, turnout and mandates mean.

Suits: Citizenship, politics, maths and statistics, history. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

MPs

643

On the Members list today.

LABOUR

404

63% of MPs.

CONSTITUENCIES

649

With a 2024 result in these figures.

TURNOUT, 2024

60%

Of registered voters in these constituencies.

Words to know

Constituency: An area that elects one MP.
Majority: The winner’s votes minus the runner-up’s.
Turnout: The share of registered voters who voted.
First past the post: The candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins; there is no prize for second.
Mandate: The authority a government claims from winning an election.
Opposition: Parties that are not in government.

Charts

MPs by party today
number of MPs. All MPs on the Members list.

Labour404

Conservative116

Liberal Democrat71

Independent12

Scottish National Party10

Reform UK8

Democratic Unionist Party5

Source: UK Parliament

Share of seats won, 2024
% of constituencies. Compare with the chart that follows.

Labour62.9%

Conservative18.8%

Reform UK0.9%

Liberal Democrat11.1%

Green Party0.8%

Scottish National Party1.2%

Source: House of Commons Library

Share of votes, 2024
% of all votes cast. The same parties, by their share of votes.

Labour33.6%

Conservative23.7%

Reform UK14.4%

Liberal Democrat12.2%

Green Party6.4%

Scottish National Party2.5%

Source: House of Commons Library

Seats and votes, 2024 general election

Party	Seats won	Share of seats	Share of votes
Labour	408	62.9%	33.6%
Conservative	122	18.8%	23.7%
Reform UK	6	0.9%	14.4%
Liberal Democrat	72	11.1%	12.2%
Green Party	5	0.8%	6.4%
Scottish National Party	8	1.2%	2.5%
Independent	7	1.1%	2.0%

Across 649 constituencies with a recorded result. Share of votes is of all votes cast for every candidate.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which party has the most MPs, and how many?
Answer. Labour: 404 of the 643 on the list.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
How many MPs does the second biggest party, Conservative, have?
Answer. 116.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
How many constituencies (areas, each electing one MP) are in the 2024 results here?
Answer. 649.
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
What is a ‘majority’ in a constituency?
Answer. The winner’s votes minus the runner-up’s. It shows how many more votes the winner got.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
What share of the 643 MPs belongs to Labour? Give a percentage to one decimal place.
Answer. 404 ÷ 643 × 100 = 62.8%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
To win a vote in the House of Commons you need more than half of the MPs voting. With 649 elected seats, how many seats is a majority?
Answer. More than 324.5, so 325 seats.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Which constituency had the smallest majority in 2024, and what was it? Which had the biggest?
Answer. Smallest: Runcorn and Helsby, 6 votes. Biggest: Bootle, 21,983 votes.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Turnout is the share of registered voters who voted. About 28,717,295 of 48,183,606 voted in these constituencies. What was turnout?
Answer. 28,717,295 ÷ 48,183,606 × 100 = 59.6%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Labour won 408 of 649 seats. What percentage of seats is that?
Answer. 408 ÷ 649 × 100 = 62.9%.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
Labour won 63% of seats with 34% of the votes. What does this tell you about how the voting system works?
Answer. In this ‘first past the post’ system each seat goes to the candidate with the most votes, so a party can win far more seats than its share of votes, and smaller parties with spread-out support can win few. Compare with systems that give seats in proportion to votes.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
Reform UK won 14% of the votes but 6 seats. Work out its share of seats and compare with its share of votes.
Answer. 14.4% of votes and 0.9% of seats (6 of 649). A big gap between the two shows how much the voting system, and where support is concentrated, affects the result.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
A party with 63% of seats says it has a ‘mandate from the people’. Use the vote share to evaluate that claim.
Answer. It has a large majority in the Commons, which lets it pass laws. But it won about 34% of votes cast, and turnout was 60%, so most voters and most eligible people did not vote for it. Whether that makes the mandate strong is a matter of judgement.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
Should seats be shared out in proportion to votes? Give one argument for and one against.
Answer. Open question. For: fairness to voters and smaller parties. Against: weaker link between one MP and one area, more coalition deals, and changes to who is accountable.

Ideas for discussion

Is it more important that a voting system is simple, fair to parties, or keeps MPs close to their areas?
Should voting be compulsory? What would change?
What would make you trust that an election result reflects what people wanted?

Answer sheet: Parliament and elections

Find. Labour: 404 of the 643 on the list.
Find. 116.
Find. 649.
Explain. The winner’s votes minus the runner-up’s. It shows how many more votes the winner got.
Calculate. 404 ÷ 643 × 100 = 62.8%.
Calculate. More than 324.5, so 325 seats.
Find. Smallest: Runcorn and Helsby, 6 votes. Biggest: Bootle, 21,983 votes.
Calculate. 28,717,295 ÷ 48,183,606 × 100 = 59.6%.
Calculate. 408 ÷ 649 × 100 = 62.9%.
Explain. In this ‘first past the post’ system each seat goes to the candidate with the most votes, so a party can win far more seats than its share of votes, and smaller parties with spread-out support can win few. Compare with systems that give seats in proportion to votes.
Calculate. 14.4% of votes and 0.9% of seats (6 of 649). A big gap between the two shows how much the voting system, and where support is concentrated, affects the result.
Judge. It has a large majority in the Commons, which lets it pass laws. But it won about 34% of votes cast, and turnout was 60%, so most voters and most eligible people did not vote for it. Whether that makes the mandate strong is a matter of judgement.
Discuss. Open question. For: fairness to voters and smaller parties. Against: weaker link between one MP and one area, more coalition deals, and changes to who is accountable.

Sources: UK Parliament (Members API), House of Commons Library (2024 general election results). See also: MPs by party · Election 2024 results · Inside Parliament.

Classroom pack

The UK against other countries

How the UK compares with fifteen other economies on tax, spending, borrowing, debt and prices, all measured the same way by the IMF.

Suits: Geography, economics, citizenship, maths and statistics. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

REVENUE

38.3%

Of GDP, 2025. Rank 9 of 16.

SPENDING

43.6%

Of GDP, 2025. Rank 9 of 16.

DEBT

102%

Gross debt, share of GDP. Rank 6 of 16.

INFLATION

3.4%

Average over 2025. Rank 2 of 16.

Words to know

IMF: The International Monetary Fund, which collects comparable figures from countries.
Revenue: Money the whole government raised, mostly tax.
Share of GDP: A figure divided by the size of the economy.
General government: Central, devolved and local government together.
Forecast: An estimate of the future, which is revised.
Rank: Position when countries are put in order.

Charts

Government revenue, 2025
% of GDP. All 16 economies, highest first; the UK is highlighted.

France52.4%

Sweden48.0%

Italy47.9%

Germany47.9%

Netherlands43.3%

Poland42.9%

Spain42.2%

Canada42.2%

United Kingdom38.3%

Australia36.7%

Japan35.8%

United States30.9%

China25.0%

Ireland23.2%

South Korea22.6%

India21.0%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor · CSV

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor

Government spending, 2025
% of GDP. All 16 economies, highest first; the UK is highlighted.

France57.5%

Italy51.1%

Germany50.5%

Poland50.0%

Sweden49.4%

Netherlands45.1%

Spain44.7%

Canada44.0%

United Kingdom43.6%

Australia39.5%

United States37.7%

Japan36.9%

China32.9%

India28.5%

South Korea24.0%

Ireland21.6%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor · CSV

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor

2025: revenue, spending, borrowing and debt, % of GDP

Country	Revenue	Spending	Borrowing	Debt
United Kingdom	38.3%	43.6%	5.4%	102%
United States	30.9%	37.7%	6.8%	124%
Germany	47.9%	50.5%	2.7%	63%
France	52.4%	57.5%	5.1%	116%
Italy	47.9%	51.1%	3.1%	137%
Japan	35.8%	36.9%	1.1%	206%
Canada	42.2%	44.0%	1.8%	114%
Spain	42.2%	44.7%	2.5%	100%
Netherlands	43.3%	45.1%	1.8%	43%
Sweden	48.0%	49.4%	1.4%	35%
Ireland	23.2%	21.6%	-1.5%	33%
Poland	42.9%	50.0%	7.0%	59%
Australia	36.7%	39.5%	2.8%	51%
South Korea	22.6%	24.0%	1.4%	52%
China	25.0%	32.9%	7.9%	99%
India	21.0%	28.5%	7.4%	84%

IMF World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor. Borrowing is spending minus revenue (a minus sign means a surplus). Figures for the latest years can be revised.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
How much of its economy did the UK government raise in revenue in 2025? Is that more or less than the middle of the other countries?
Answer. 38.3% of GDP. The middle of the others is 42.2%, so the UK is below it.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which of the 16 countries raised the most in revenue, as a share of GDP, in 2025? Which the least?
Answer. Most: France (52.4%). Least: India (21.0%).
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which country spent the biggest share of its economy through government in 2025?
Answer. France: 57.5%.
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
These figures are a ‘share of GDP’, not pounds. Why is that fairer for comparing countries?
Answer. Countries differ in size. A share of GDP shows how much of each country’s own economy the government takes in or spends, whatever the currency or size.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
UK government spending was 43.6% of GDP and revenue was 38.3%. Work out the borrowing as a share of GDP.
Answer. 43.6 − 38.3 = 5.4% of GDP. (The IMF’s own borrowing figure for the UK is 5.4%; small differences come from rounding and definitions.)
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Spending was 57.5% in France and 43.6% in the UK. How many percentage points higher is that?
Answer. 13.8 percentage points.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Where does the UK rank for revenue, spending, inflation and debt among the 16 countries, highest first?
Answer. Revenue 9, spending 9, inflation 2, debt 6 (1 means highest of 16).
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Use the two bar charts. Which countries both raised and spent a smaller share of GDP than the UK in 2025?
Answer. Countries below the UK on both charts: Australia, China, India, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, United States. (Check against the charts.)
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
A country with high government spending might not have ‘better’ public services. Give two reasons the share of GDP does not tell you this.
Answer. Countries pay for different things publicly; some fund health, pensions or childcare through government and others through private insurance or families. Spending can also be inefficient, and prices and needs differ.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
The UK’s inflation rate was 3.4% and the middle of the others 2.3%. Does that show the UK’s cost of living is higher? Why or why not?
Answer. Not by itself. Inflation is the rate of change, not the level of prices, and baskets differ between countries. A country with high inflation may still be cheaper to live in.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
Choose two countries from the chart with very different spending shares. What other facts would you gather before deciding which approach works better?
Answer. Open question. Look for: what government pays for, outcomes (health, education), tax paid by different groups, age of the population, and how fast each economy is growing.

Ideas for discussion

Is a bigger government better, worse or just different? What would you measure?
Why might it be unfair to rank countries on a single number?
If you could change one thing about how the UK raises or spends money after looking at other countries, what would it be?

Answer sheet: The UK against other countries

Find. 38.3% of GDP. The middle of the others is 42.2%, so the UK is below it.
Find. Most: France (52.4%). Least: India (21.0%).
Find. France: 57.5%.
Explain. Countries differ in size. A share of GDP shows how much of each country’s own economy the government takes in or spends, whatever the currency or size.
Calculate. 43.6 − 38.3 = 5.4% of GDP. (The IMF’s own borrowing figure for the UK is 5.4%; small differences come from rounding and definitions.)
Calculate. 13.8 percentage points.
Find. Revenue 9, spending 9, inflation 2, debt 6 (1 means highest of 16).
Find. Countries below the UK on both charts: Australia, China, India, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, United States. (Check against the charts.)
Explain. Countries pay for different things publicly; some fund health, pensions or childcare through government and others through private insurance or families. Spending can also be inefficient, and prices and needs differ.
Judge. Not by itself. Inflation is the rate of change, not the level of prices, and baskets differ between countries. A country with high inflation may still be cheaper to live in.
Discuss. Open question. Look for: what government pays for, outcomes (health, education), tax paid by different groups, age of the population, and how fast each economy is growing.

Sources: IMF (World Economic Outlook, Fiscal Monitor). See also: UK against other countries · Tax and spending compared.

Classroom pack

Your area and the UK’s places

How pay and unemployment-related benefit claims differ between the UK’s constituencies, and how to compare places fairly.

Suits: Geography, citizenship, maths and statistics, PSHE. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

TYPICAL PAY, UK

£767

A week, full-time, 2025.

HIGHEST AREA

£1,167

Hampstead and Highgate

LOWEST AREA

£603

Leicester East

CLAIMANTS, UK

3.9%

Of people aged 16–64, August 2026.

Words to know

Constituency: An area that elects one MP.
Median: The middle value.
Claimant count: People claiming benefits mainly for being unemployed.
Census: A survey of everyone in the country every ten years.
Compare like with like: Compare places using the same measure and time.
Average: A single figure that hides differences within the area.

Charts

Typical weekly pay, five highest and five lowest areas (2025)
£ a week. Full-time employees who live in the area.

Hampstead and Highgate£1,167

St Albans£1,155

Wimbledon£1,150

Harpenden and Berkhamsted£1,136

Poplar and Limehouse£1,102

Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West£614

Isle of Wight East£614

Boston and Skegness£606

Nottingham South£605

Leicester East£603

Source: ONS · CSV

Source: ONS

People claiming unemployment-related benefits, five highest and five lowest areas
% of people aged 16–64. The UK figure is 3.9%.

Birmingham Perry Barr14.8%

Birmingham Ladywood12.2%

Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley11.4%

Birmingham Yardley10.9%

Birmingham Erdington10.3%

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine1.6%

Wetherby and Easingwold1.5%

Orkney and Shetland1.4%

York Outer1.4%

Westmorland and Lonsdale1.4%

Source: ONS and DWP via Nomis · CSV

Source: ONS and DWP via Nomis

Five highest and five lowest areas for typical pay, 2025

Constituency	Weekly pay	Claimant rate	Party of MP
Hampstead and Highgate	£1,167	3.9%	Labour
St Albans	£1,155	2.7%	Liberal Democrat
Wimbledon	£1,150	2.9%	Liberal Democrat
Harpenden and Berkhamsted	£1,136	1.8%	Liberal Democrat
Poplar and Limehouse	£1,102	6.1%	Labour
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West	£614	5.3%	Labour
Isle of Wight East	£614	4.4%	Conservative
Boston and Skegness	£606	4.5%	Reform UK
Nottingham South	£605	4.4%	Labour
Leicester East	£603	4.8%	Conservative

Pay is median gross weekly pay of full-time employees living in the area. Claimant rate is of people aged 16–64.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which constituency has the highest typical full-time weekly pay, and how much is it?
Answer. Hampstead and Highgate: £1,167 a week (2025).
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Which has the lowest, and how much is it?
Answer. Leicester East: £603 a week.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What is typical full-time pay for the whole UK?
Answer. £767 a week (2025).
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
The figures are for people who live in each area. Why might that differ from the pay in jobs located in the area?
Answer. Many people commute: someone may live in a quiet area and work in a city centre, so their pay counts for where they live, not where the job is.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
How much more is the highest area’s weekly pay than the lowest? What is that as a percentage of the lowest?
Answer. £564 more a week; 93% higher than the lowest.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Typical pay in Hampstead and Highgate is £1,167. Work out its yearly equivalent (52 weeks) and compare with the UK.
Answer. £1,167 × 52 = £60,700 a year, against about £39,863 for the UK.
Ages 14–16 Find: read a figure
Which area has the highest share of working-age people claiming unemployment-related benefits (August 2026), and which the lowest?
Answer. Highest: Birmingham Perry Barr (14.8%). Lowest: Westmorland and Lonsdale (1.4%). UK: 3.9%.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Compare the highest claimant rate (14.8%) with the UK rate (3.9%). How many times bigger is it?
Answer. 3.8 times the UK rate (14.8 ÷ 3.9).
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
There are 631 areas with a pay figure. The median area is Southport, at £754. Is the UK figure above or below it, and what could that tell you?
Answer. The UK figure of £767 is above the middle area’s £754. Area figures and the UK median are different calculations, and populations differ between areas, so they do not have to match.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
Is a high-pay area always a ‘better’ place to live? Name three other things you would compare.
Answer. No. Compare housing costs, jobs available, transport, health, schools, safety, and what pay buys locally. Pay does not show how it is shared between people.
Ages 16+ Calculate: work something out
In the 2021 Census 62.5% of people in England and Wales owned their home (outright or with a mortgage) and 17.1% rented from a council or housing association. How many people out of 1,000 is that for each?
Answer. About 625 owners and 171 social renters in every 1,000 people.
Ages 16+ Discuss: give a view
A local group wants funding for jobs. Which two figures would they use to make the case, and what would a sceptic say?
Answer. Open question. For example the claimant rate against the UK, and typical pay. A sceptic might say the figures are averages, miss part-time workers and people working elsewhere, and do not show causes.

Ideas for discussion

What would you want to know about your own area before deciding where to live?
Why might a single area figure hide very different streets?
How should the government decide which areas get extra help?

Answer sheet: Your area and the UK’s places

Find. Hampstead and Highgate: £1,167 a week (2025).
Find. Leicester East: £603 a week.
Find. £767 a week (2025).
Explain. Many people commute: someone may live in a quiet area and work in a city centre, so their pay counts for where they live, not where the job is.
Calculate. £564 more a week; 93% higher than the lowest.
Calculate. £1,167 × 52 = £60,700 a year, against about £39,863 for the UK.
Find. Highest: Birmingham Perry Barr (14.8%). Lowest: Westmorland and Lonsdale (1.4%). UK: 3.9%.
Calculate. 3.8 times the UK rate (14.8 ÷ 3.9).
Calculate. The UK figure of £767 is above the middle area’s £754. Area figures and the UK median are different calculations, and populations differ between areas, so they do not have to match.
Judge. No. Compare housing costs, jobs available, transport, health, schools, safety, and what pay buys locally. Pay does not show how it is shared between people.
Calculate. About 625 owners and 171 social renters in every 1,000 people.
Discuss. Open question. For example the claimant rate against the UK, and typical pay. A sceptic might say the figures are averages, miss part-time workers and people working elsewhere, and do not show causes.

Sources: ONS (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings), ONS and DWP via Nomis (claimant count), Census 2021, House of Commons Library. See also: Find your area · Compare two areas.

Classroom pack

Data skills: reading charts and claims

Percentages and percentage points, cash and real terms, mean and median, axes, revisions and cause, using real figures.

Suits: Maths and statistics, citizenship, media literacy, science. Levels: ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16+. Rebuilt every night from the latest figures.

PAY, CASH TERMS

£767

A week, 2025.

PAY, REAL TERMS

£767

A week, in 2025 prices.

MEAN EARNINGS

£756

A mean, all employees.

UNEMPLOYMENT

4.9%

Survey estimate.

Words to know

Percentage change: The change divided by the starting value, times 100.
Percentage points: The difference between two percentages.
Real terms: Adjusted for inflation.
Mean and median: Total over count, and middle value.
Axis: The scale along the side or bottom of a chart.
Revision: A change to a published figure when better data arrives.

Charts

Typical full-time pay
£ a week. Typical weekly pay in cash terms. 2002 to 2025.

Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (resident analysis), via Nomis · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (resident analysis), via Nomis

Typical full-time pay in 2025 prices
£ a week. Typical weekly pay in today’s prices. 2002 to 2025.

Source: ONS (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and CPI), adjusted by UK Explained · CSV · Make a slide

Source: ONS (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and CPI), adjusted by UK Explained

Waiting for hospital treatment
millions of treatments. NHS waiting list, millions. July 2016 to July 2026.

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England · CSV · Make a slide

Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, England

Typical pay: cash and real terms

Year	Cash terms	In today’s prices
2025	£767	£767
2024	£728	£753
2023	£687	£728
2022	£642	£730
2021	£610	£756
2020	£586	£745
2019	£585	£751
2018	£568	£742
2017	£550	£736
2016	£539	£740
2015	£527	£729
2014	£518	£718

Real terms use the Consumer Prices Index.

Questions

Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
Read the line chart of typical pay. What was the pay in 2002 and in 2025?
Answer. £391 in 2002 and £767 in 2025.
Ages 11–14 Explain: say why
Before you read a chart, what three things should you check first?
Answer. The title (what is measured), the units (%, £, millions) and the period; then the source and date.
Ages 11–14 Find: read a figure
What is the first month and the last month on the waiting-list chart?
Answer. August 2007 and July 2026.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Percentage and percentage points: unemployment was 4.7% and is 4.9%. Give the change in both ways.
Answer. +0.2 percentage points, or +4.3% as a percentage change. They answer different questions.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Cash or real terms? Pay rose from £391 to £767 in cash terms. In prices of 2025 pay was £726 in 2002. Work out the real rise.
Answer. Cash rise: 96%. Real rise: (767 − 726) ÷ 726 × 100 = 6%. The real figure is smaller because prices rose too.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
Mean or median? Average weekly earnings were £756 and typical full-time pay £767. Which is a mean and which a median, and why do they differ?
Answer. Average weekly earnings is a mean of all employees; typical full-time pay is a median of full-time workers. A mean is pulled up by a few very high earners and pulled down by part-timers; a median is the middle worker.
Ages 14–16 Calculate: work something out
Compound growth: the house price rose from £268,843 to £272,611 over a year. Work out the percentage change.
Answer. (272,611 − 268,843) ÷ 268,843 × 100 = 1.4%.
Ages 14–16 Explain: say why
The axis on the house price chart does not start at zero. How does that change how the chart looks, and when is it acceptable?
Answer. Starting above zero stretches the changes and makes them look bigger. It is acceptable for lines showing change over time if the axis is labelled, but a bar chart should always start at zero.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
‘Waiting lists are shorter than last year, so the NHS is improving.’ Say what is wrong with that reasoning.
Answer. A fall in one measure does not show the whole picture: it may be due to a change in counting, fewer referrals, or treatments removed from the list. Check other measures, such as how long people wait, and whether the data are revised.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
Why are the latest months of many datasets revised later, and how should that change what you say?
Answer. More information arrives after first publication, so first estimates can change. Say ‘provisional’ or ‘early estimate’ and avoid strong claims from one month.
Ages 16+ Explain: say why
Two lines on a chart move together. Does one cause the other? Use an example from the data.
Answer. Not necessarily. For example, prices and pay both tend to rise over time, but that does not show one causes the other. Look for a mechanism, other explanations and tests, such as changes at different times.
Ages 16+ Judge: weigh the evidence
Choose a statistic from this site and write one sentence a journalist could use, with its source, period and one caveat.
Answer. Open question. A good answer names the figure, its unit and date, says who produced it, and includes what it cannot tell you, such as ‘an average that hides differences’.

Ideas for discussion

Find a chart in a newspaper. What questions from this pack can you ask of it?
Can a true number still mislead? How?
What makes you trust a statistic?

Answer sheet: Data skills

Find. £391 in 2002 and £767 in 2025.
Explain. The title (what is measured), the units (%, £, millions) and the period; then the source and date.
Find. August 2007 and July 2026.
Calculate. +0.2 percentage points, or +4.3% as a percentage change. They answer different questions.
Calculate. Cash rise: 96%. Real rise: (767 − 726) ÷ 726 × 100 = 6%. The real figure is smaller because prices rose too.
Explain. Average weekly earnings is a mean of all employees; typical full-time pay is a median of full-time workers. A mean is pulled up by a few very high earners and pulled down by part-timers; a median is the middle worker.
Calculate. (272,611 − 268,843) ÷ 268,843 × 100 = 1.4%.
Explain. Starting above zero stretches the changes and makes them look bigger. It is acceptable for lines showing change over time if the axis is labelled, but a bar chart should always start at zero.
Judge. A fall in one measure does not show the whole picture: it may be due to a change in counting, fewer referrals, or treatments removed from the list. Check other measures, such as how long people wait, and whether the data are revised.
Explain. More information arrives after first publication, so first estimates can change. Say ‘provisional’ or ‘early estimate’ and avoid strong claims from one month.
Explain. Not necessarily. For example, prices and pay both tend to rise over time, but that does not show one causes the other. Look for a mechanism, other explanations and tests, such as changes at different times.
Judge. Open question. A good answer names the figure, its unit and date, says who produced it, and includes what it cannot tell you, such as ‘an average that hides differences’.

Sources: ONS, NHS England, HM Land Registry, HM Treasury. See also: Everything over time · How we calculate this · Words explained.