The inflation rate in United Kingdom reached a 41-year record high in October 2022. High energy bills, soaring food costs, and various other issues have caused the UK inflation rates to remain in double-digits ever since September last year. This has forced people to look for new ways to deal with the ongoing cost of living crisis, and social media seems to be one of them. Which social media platforms have the most relevant content for consumers to deal with the ongoing situation? According to a survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, around 57 percent of UK TikTok users find helpful content there. Claiming the joint second spot on this list are YouTube and Facebook. Instagram comes on number five on this list, as 41 percent of Instagram users find helpful content there to deal with this crisis.

69 percent of UK Gen Z consumers who use TikTok find helpful content on the cost of living crisis there. Coming on number second on this list is Instagram (49 %), followed by YouTube.

A rapid and unexpected increase in global prices lead to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, affecting pupils and their schools who are often the first-line of support for families. This project gathered evidence around the overarching scale of challenges in schools in England, how these varied across settings and groups of pupils, and what steps schools took to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. It drew on nationally representative surveys of teachers and senior leaders in mainstream and special schools, to provide insights into the overarching impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils, how day-to-day provision in schools has been affected and the support which schools are providing.

44 percent of Generation X consumers in the UK who use TikTok find helpful content on the cost of living crisis there. Coming on number second on this list is Facebook, with a score of 43 percent, followed by YouTube.

The UK inflation rate was 3.6 percent in June 2025, up from 3.4 percent in the previous month, and the fastest rate of inflation since January 2024. Between September 2022 and March 2023, the UK experienced seven months of double-digit inflation, which peaked at 11.1 percent in October 2022. Due to this long period of high inflation, UK consumer prices have increased by over 20 percent in the last three years. As of the most recent month, prices were rising fastest in the communications sector, at 6.1 percent, but were falling in both the furniture and transport sectors, at -0.3 percent and -0.6 percent, respectively.
The Cost of Living Crisis High inflation is one of the main factors behind the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis in the UK, which, despite subsiding somewhat in 2024, is still impacting households going into 2025. In December 2024, for example, 56 percent of UK households reported their cost of living was increasing compared with the previous month, up from 45 percent in July, but far lower than at the height of the crisis in 2022. After global energy prices spiraled that year, the UK's energy price cap increased substantially. The cap, which limits what suppliers can charge consumers, reached 3,549 British pounds per year in October 2022, compared with 1,277 pounds a year earlier. Along with soaring food costs, high-energy bills have hit UK households hard, especially lower income ones that spend more of their earnings on housing costs. As a result of these factors, UK households experienced their biggest fall in living standards in decades in 2022/23. Global inflation crisis causes rapid surge in prices The UK's high inflation, and cost of living crisis in 2022 had its origins in the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the initial waves of the virus, global supply chains struggled to meet the renewed demand for goods and services. Food and energy prices, which were already high, increased further in 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought an end to the era of cheap gas flowing to European markets from Russia. The war also disrupted global food markets, as both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of cereal crops. As a result of these factors, inflation surged across Europe and in other parts of the world, but typically declined in 2023, and approached more usual levels by 2024.

Through a community-based participatory approach, this project identified the barriers and opportunities to inclusive climate resilient AFCCs in consultation with older people, policymakers and practitioners, businesses, social enterprises and entrepreneurs. We co-designed solutions with these key stakeholder groups to achieve ‘actionable’ interventions that support healthy ageing for older people in response to the climate crisis.

Qualitative datasets were collected across the study including a stakeholder event and dialogue workshops with older people. The findings identified a range of key findings for how we can support ageing in place in the context of a changing climate which were distilled into a recommendations document.

As of April 2025, 20 percent of people in the UK thought that the Labour Party would be the best at handling the economy, compared with 16 percent who believed that the Conservatives would be the best, while six percent thought the Liberal Democrats would handle the economy the best.

This statistic illustrates the impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis on UK consumers in 2023. According to the survey by We Are Social and Statista Q conducted in April 2023, around one-third of the consumers feel highly affected by the situation, whereas only 2 percent respondents don't feel affected by the cost of living crisis at all.

This report presents findings from the third (wave 3) in a series of follow up reports to the 2017 Mental Health of Children and Young People (MHCYP) survey, conducted in 2022. The sample includes 2,866 of the children and young people who took part in the MHCYP 2017 survey. The mental health of children and young people aged 7 to 24 years living in England in 2022 is examined, as well as their household circumstances, and their experiences of education, employment and services and of life in their families and communities. Comparisons are made with 2017, 2020 (wave 1) and 2021 (wave 2), where possible, to monitor changes over time.

The economy was seen by 52 percent of people in the UK as one of the top three issues facing the country in July 2025. The ongoing cost of living crisis afflicting the UK, driven by high inflation, is still one of the main concerns of Britons. Immigration has generally been the second most important issue since the middle of 2024, just ahead of health, which was seen as the third-biggest issue in the most recent month. Labour's popularity continues to sink in 2025 Despite winning the 2024 general election with a strong majority, the new Labour government has had its share of struggles since coming to power. Shortly after taking office, the approval rating for Labour stood at -2 percent, but this fell throughout the second half of 2024, and by January 2025 had sunk to a new low of -47 percent. Although this was still higher than the previous government's last approval rating of -56 percent, it is nevertheless a severe review from the electorate. Among several decisions from the government, arguably the least popular was the government withdrawing winter fuel payments. This state benefit, previously paid to all pensioners, is now only paid to those on low incomes, with millions of pensioners not receiving this payment in winter 2024. Sunak's pledges fail to prevent defeat in 2024 With an election on the horizon, and the Labour Party consistently ahead in the polls, addressing voter concerns directly was one of the best chances the Conservatives had of staying in power in 2023. At the start of that year, Rishi Sunak attempted to do this by setting out his five pledges for the next twelve months; halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut NHS waiting times, and stop small boats. A year later, Sunak had at best only partial success in these aims. Although the inflation rate fell, economic growth was weak and even declined in the last two quarters of 2023, although it did return to growth in early 2024. National debt was only expected to fall in the mid to late 2020s, while the trend of increasing NHS waiting times did not reverse. Small boat crossings were down from 2022, but still higher than in 2021 or 2020. .

Over the five years through 2024-25, the Financial Management industry's revenue is set to dip at a compound annual rate of 0.2% to £13.7 billion, caused by unfavourable demand conditions following the cost-of-living crisis and the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic damaged mergers and acquisitions, dropping from £55.6 billion in 2019 to £16.3 billion in 2020 according to the ONS. The cost-of-living crisis further reduced consumer spending, extending economic difficulties into winter 2023 and triggering a recession. These factors decreased business investments in financial management services as companies focused on cutting costs. Despite these obstacles, the industry maintained stability by offering countercyclical services, aiding businesses in efficient cost management while maintaining operations. Since the EU's 2016 Audit Regulation and Directive limited non-audit fees, financial managers have expanded client bases and explored new income sources to balance these caps. With a 2026 deadline to separate audits from non-audit services, pressure is high, particularly for top companies like the Big Four. Technological advancements are also enabling companies to perform tasks internally that were traditionally outsourced to consultants, tightening the market, especially for smaller clients. Intensified competition and decreased demand are driving the financial management sector towards greater innovation. Following a five-year downturn, business spending has begun to recover in 2024-25, driven by increased M&A activity. Business confidence reached an 11-month high in March 2024, according to S&P Global Flash UK PMI. With inflation cooling to 3.2% in March 2024 from 10.1% the previous year, more resources have been available for financial management and M&A efforts. Revenue is expected to grow by 4.9% in 2024-25. Over the five years through 2029-30, industry revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.3% to reach £16.1 billion. Improving economic conditions and continued business confidence will push more businesses to increase their spending and invest in M&A activity, increasing demand for advice on managing their finances. In addition, continued low inflation will aid costs for both financial managers and their clients, bolstering profit.

The Poverty in Scotland study was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of poverty, economic security and the cost of living crisis (2022) in Scotland. Phase 1 of the survey was undertaken online with participants by Savanta ComRes between 11 July - 2 August 2022 with adults aged 18+. Phase 2 was also conducted online, between 19-29 March 2023.

The study explores a range of financial factors and economic security indicators as well as people’s reactions to the cost of living crisis. It captures a range of personal and economic characteristics and includes derived variables related to the Scottish Government’s Priority Families. Data are weighted to be representative of Scotland by age, gender, region, ethnicity and social grade.

Further information can be found in the latest JRF Poverty in Scotland report.

Latest edition information
For the second edition (July 2023), data and documentation from the Phase 2 survey were added to the study.

This project builds previous research on parcel-sending via private van companies by Moldovan transnational families as an embodiment of connections across borders, an important practice that Moldovan migrants in most European countries engaged in for the past thirty years. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel, many Moldovan migrants used parcel-sending as their main connection to home. Later, when Ukraine was invaded in 2022, Moldovans in the UK/EU/Switzerland used parcel van companies to send items to help an unprecedented number of Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. The main reason for conducting this study was to better understand the role of parcel-sending in the context of the uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian refugee crisis in Moldova. The project aimed to address how Moldovan transnational families deal with uncertainty through adjusting their parcel-sending practices in response to crisis, and to uncover the role parcel-sending played in supporting Ukrainian refugees in Moldova by mediating the provision of aid. The main themes emerging from this research are the continuity and fluidity of transnational practices mediated by Moldovan parcel-van services despite major disruptions to transnational family life, and the central role of migrant networks in facilitating transnational responses to crises. Informants who sent parcels discussed their usual sending patterns and any changes to what, when, and why they sent over the past three years, including items sent in support of Ukrainian refugees and their use of migrant networks to collect and send aid. They also reflected on the absence of visits home during the Covid-19 pandemic, and other uncertainties affecting their sending practices. Informants who distributed aid sent via parcels to Ukrainian refugees discussed the timeliness of transnational responses, the range of sent items and the impact of this support on alleviating the refugee crisis in Moldova. The collection consists of anonymised interview transcripts for 12 informants interviewed for this project, in Moldova (in person), UK (in person and online), France, Italy, and Switzerland (online) in 2023.

According to an April 2023 survey conducted by We Are Social and Statista Q, about 68 percent of UK consumers spend less on non-essentials in reaction to the cost of living crisis, whereas 63 percent pay more attention to bargains, good deals, or offers (when shopping). Similarly, more than half of respondents use less gas and electricity in their homes to deal with the situation.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. The Community Mental Health Service User Survey (CMH) has been conducted almost every year since 2004 and asks people who use NHS community mental health services in England about their experiences. Fifty-three providers of NHS mental health services participated in the CMH 2023. This includes combined mental health and social care trusts, foundation trusts and community healthcare social enterprises that provide NHS mental health services. Individuals aged 16 and over were eligible to participate if they were receiving specialist care or treatment for a mental health condition between 1 April and 31 May 2023. Fieldwork took place between August and December 2023.The 2023 iteration of the survey underwent some key changes, these included moving the survey from a purely paper-based questionnaire to a mixed-mode approach providing the option to complete the survey online or by paper. The sampling period was shortened and moved from September to November to April and May. The sampling eligibility criteria were amended to include young people aged 16 and 17 years old and excluded people who predominately used memory clinics. These changes to the survey resulted in a redevelopment of the questionnaire and a break in trend data. For further details, see the documentation.In total 14,770 people responded, a response rate of 20%. As well as nationally, respondents were also considered with three assessment service groups (ASGs). Responses were received from 11,163 adult mental health service (AMHS) users and 873 child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) users. Survey responses were also received from 2,734 older people's mental health service (OPMHS) users.The results are intended for use by NHS trusts to help them improve their performance as well as being an essential quality indicator for the work of organisations including the Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the Department for Health and Social Care. Main Topics: Topics covered included: support while waiting; mental health team; planning care; involvement in care; medication; NHS talking therapies; crisis care support; crisis care access; support with other areas of life; support in accessing care; respect, dignity and compassion; overall experience, and feedback Simple random sample

A weak spending environment amid economic headwinds casts a shadow over industry performance. Squeezed budgets amid the cost-of-living crisis were a double-edged sword for takeaways and fast-food restaurants over the two years through 2023-24: some consumers cut back on takeaways, while others traded down from full-service restaurants to takeaways and fast food. Inflationary pressures resulted in hikes in labour, energy and sourcing costs, straining profitability. Those with higher disposable incomes have been less impacted, demanding higher quality and healthier options, typically with a higher price tag. Subsiding inflation and growing consumer confidence support spending in 2024-25, though economic uncertainty persists and limits growth. Revenue is projected to drop at a compound annual growth rate of 0.8% over the five years through 2024-25, reflecting ongoing challenges. However, forecast growth of 2.1% in 2024-25 suggests a rebound in the industry as cost-of-living pressures subside. The surge of online food ordering has fuelled revenue growth. While online sales peaked during the pandemic, consumers drawn to convenience have become accustomed to ordering takeaways and fast food online. The development of state-of-the-art online platforms and third-party online ordering platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats are becoming the bread and butter for takeaway and fast-food outlets, encouraging new players into the industry. Britons' growing health and sustainability consciousness presents an opportunity for takeaway and fast-food businesses to introduce more expensive organic and meat-free menu items to boost revenue and profit. Britons’ tastes for healthy and sustainable takeaway options will continue to climb. Stricter legislation regarding the adverse effects of consuming junk food will promote product development innovation and healthy fast-food alternatives, driving additional revenue streams. As workers return to the office more permanently, demand for takeaway lunch options will swell. Fast food chains will pump money into aggressive expansion plans to secure market share and streamline costs. Investment in marketing will likely swell as operators turn to social media and online advertising to attract younger consumers and secure long-term revenues. Spending on innovation will persist as major players leverage AI and technology advancements to differentiate themselves from competitors and further demand. Revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 2.9% to £26.6 billion over the years through 2029-30.

In a survey carried out in August 2023, about ** percent of respondents in the United Kingdom stated that they were eating less healthily to save money. More concretely, about ** percent stated they were eating more ready meals and processed foods.

The United Kingdom's economy grew by 1.1 percent in 2024, after a growth rate of 0.4 percent in 2023, 4.8 percent in 2022, 8.6 percent in 2021, and a record 10.3 percent fall in 2020. During the provided time period, the biggest annual fall in gross domestic product before 2020 occurred in 2009, when the UK economy contracted by 4.6 percent at the height of the global financial crisis of the late 2000s. Before 2021, the year with the highest annual GDP growth rate was 1973, when the UK economy grew by 6.5 percent. UK economy growing but GDP per capita falling In 2022, the UK's GDP per capita amounted to approximately 37,371 pounds, with this falling to 37,028 pounds in 2023, and 36,977 pounds in 2024. While the UK economy as a whole grew during this time, the UK's population grew at a faster rate, resulting in the negative growth in GDP per capita. This suggests the UK economy's struggles with productivity are not only stagnating, but getting worse. The relatively poor economic performance of the UK in recent years has not gone unnoticed by the electorate, with the economy consistently seen as the most important issue for voters since 2022. Recent shocks to UK economy In the second quarter of 2020, the UK economy shrank by a record 20.3 percent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there was a relatively swift economic recovery initially, the economy has struggled to grow much beyond its pre-pandemic size, and was only around 3.1 percent larger in December 2024, when compared with December 2019. Although the labor market has generally been quite resilient during this time, a long twenty-month period between 2021 and 2023 saw prices rise faster than wages, and inflation surge to a high of 11.1 percent in October 2022.