NEW on the Economics Observatory– From costs to culture: what’s behind falling fertility in rich countries? By @ann-berrington.bsky.social & Hill Kulu

More than two-thirds of humanity now live in countries where fertility has fallen below the level needed for a stable population. This demographic shift is transforming economies, raising questions about ageing populations, shrinking workforces and the sustainability of welfare states. 🔎👇

JUST PUBLISHED – From costs to culture: what’s behind falling fertility in rich countries? By @ann-berrington.bsky.social & Hill Kulu

NEW on the Economics Observatory – How could falling birth rates reshape the global economy? By Federica Coelli & Pablo García Guzmán @ebrd.bsky.social

JUST PUBLISHED – How could falling birth rates reshape the global economy? By Federica Coelli & Pablo García Guzmán @ebrd.bsky.social

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Is gold a safe haven for investors? By Philip Fliers

GOV-UK is intended to be the single point of online access for UK government information and services. The project leader in the Government Digital Service recounts the transformation in the early 2010s of over 2,500 fragmented public websites into a ‘boring’ but efficient and award-winning site. 👇

NEW on the Economics Observatory – The UK government’s digital transformation: how did it come about? By Tom Loosemore @tomski.com

JUST PUBLISHED – The UK government’s digital transformation: how did it come about? By Tom Loosemore @tomski.com

JUST PUBLISHED – Who trusts AI? By Finn McEvoy

🤖 Does AI concern or excite you? New polling from @pewresearch.org shows concern outweighs excitement almost everywhere. In every country surveyed except Israel & South Korea, more people feel more concerned than excited about AI. #ChartOfTheDay

The Post Office scandal brought into sharp focus the risks associated with placing blind faith in technology. To learn from this troubling episode and start rebuilding public trust, policy-makers must challenge the idea of the infallibility of machines within the legal system.👇

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Trust and technology: what went wrong with the Post Office? By J Dwyer-Joyce (@sec.cs.ucl.ac.uk) buff.ly/MihkphJ

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – UK land and property: what’s happening with freehold and leasehold reform? By Norma Cohen

TODAY on the Economics Observatory — Will digital failures undermine trust in the justice system? By Joe Tomlinson

Greenland’s Ice Sheet is melting. What’s the economic impact? 🧵 Since 1972, the Ice Sheet has shrunk by approximately 6,200 gigatonnes, a trend which accelerated markedly in the 1990s, and corresponds to an almost 18 mm rise in global mean sea level. #ChartOfTheDay #Greenland

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – The rise of artificial intelligence: What next for the UK economy? By Perspective Economics

Across the OECD, 50% of young adults still live with their parents – up 5% since 2006. But this trend isn’t universal: in Austria, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Mexico, Slovenia and the USA, the share of 20 to 29-year-olds living outside the parental home has increased. #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Global defence spending: What next for European military procurement? By Keith Hartley buff.ly/mMs634i

While official data points to a ‘productivity miracle’ in several large northern cities since 2019, a closer look suggests otherwise. This serves as a reminder to sense-check any data before using it, regardless of the source. 👇

NEW on the Economics Observatory – Have the UK’s northern cities really experienced a productivity miracle? By @paulswinney.bsky.social

Has Greater Manchester cracked the UK’s productivity puzzle? Productivity growth averaged just 0.5% a year between 2008 and 2019 — then jumped to 3.3% post-2019. A staggering improvement. But a closer look at the data raises questions.👇 #ChartOfTheDay

JUST PUBLISHED – Have the UK’s northern cities really experienced a productivity miracle? By @paulswinney.bsky.social

Compared with other former Soviet territories, Moldova is an outlier in terms of its poor economic performance. Political instability, a heavy dependence on remittances & international loans, means policymakers must work carefully to improve living standards through reform & alignment with Europe.👇

NEW on the Economics Observatory – How might policy-makers improve Moldova’s economic prospects? By Esmond Birnie buff.ly/NdejQqB

JUST PUBLISHED - How might policy-makers improve Moldova’s economic prospects? By Esmond Birnie buff.ly/NdejQqB

🇩🇪 Germany leads the G7 in renewable-energy employment, with 8,800 jobs per million workers. 🇬🇧 The UK ranks near the bottom — just above 🇯🇵 Japan — with 2,950 jobs per million in the sector. #ChartOfTheDay

In 2023, Lockheed Martin was the world’s largest arms producer, generating over $60 billion in arms revenue. The five largest arms companies were all based in the United States, followed by the UK’s BAE Systems. #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economic Observatory – What are the big economic challenges facing the government in Iran? Revisiting @mrfarzanegan.bsky.social's 2023 analysis.

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What effects have energy sanctions had on Russia’s ability to wage war? By Benjamin Hilgenstock

UK rents continue to climb. The average private rent reached £1,339 per month in May 2025 –7% higher than last year. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: £1,394 pm 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland: £999 Northern Ireland: £848 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales: £799 #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What are the economic effects of extreme weather caused by climate change? By Ilan Noy

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What role could migration play in the reconstruction of Ukraine? By Camila Arroyo From

🇻🇪 What has happened to Venezuela’s economy since 1960? For decades, Venezuela sat in the middle of the South American pack. Since 2014, its GDP per capita has fallen dramatically, while neighbours, especially Guyana and Uruguay, have continued to grow. Why?👇 #ChartOfTheDay #Venezuela

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Can researchers predict conflicts and their consequences? By Ron Smith

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Why did Venezuela’s economy collapse? Revisiting Frank Muci’s 2024 analysis. @lsepublicpolicy.bsky.social

🌟Merry Christmas! Will you be eating Turkey today? Turkey still rules the roost at the Christmas dinner table, with 57% of Britons having it as part of their main meal. Source: YouGov Christmas Survey #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What can Christmas dinner tell us about inflation? By Finn McEvoy

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 3.75%, the lowest level since February 2023. The 0.25pp cut follows lower-than-expected CPI inflation of 3.2% in November. The BoE expects inflation to fall back towards its 2% target more quickly in the next 6 months. #ChartOfTheDay

🎄Where does your Christmas tree come from? The Norway spruce is by far the most popular variety, with over 8 million supplied to the UK in 2024. #ChartOfTheDay

The UK unemployment rate has risen to 5.1% — its highest level since January 2021. How does this compare with G7 peers? #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – UK higher education finance: what’s the problem and what can be done? By Gill Wyness, Richard Murphy

🥂 Will you be buying Prosecco this festive season? 🍾 While Aldi offers a bottle for £4.49, the cheapest bottle in Waitrose, Iceland, and the Co-op costs £7.50. #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Why should we care about obesity? By Rachel Griffith @theifs.bsky.social

The world’s richest 0.001% (≈56,000 adults) hold 3× more wealth than the entire bottom 50% of the global population combined. New figures from the World Inequality Report @wid.world #ChartOfTheDay

In 2025, the UK government is estimated to spend 43.7% of GDP. How does today’s spending compare with the past — and with the rest of the G7? 👇 #ChartOfTheDay

37% of children in 3+ child families in the UK live in absolute poverty (after housing costs) – up 3pp since 2010. Child poverty has fallen for 1–2 child families, but it has risen for larger families. With the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped, will this change? #ChartOfTheDay

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What has happened to child poverty in the UK over the last 30 years? By Lucinda Platt

🛡️ How does the G7 compare on defence innovation? The US is a clear outlier in defence R&D spending, spending 7x as much as the rest of the G7 combined. Excluding Washington, the UK emerges as one of the biggest G7 investors.

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – What do we know about the effects of military conscription? By @vincenzobove.bsky.social, Riccardo Di Leo, @mgiani.bsky.social