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What it means: the chart shows how much bigger the economy is than at the start of 2010, after taking out inflation, so its slope is the growth rate. Around 0.4% a quarter is roughly the UK's long-run growth rate; a falling line means the economy is shrinking.

Source: ONS, quarterly national accounts, series ABMI (real GDP) and IHYQ (quarterly growth).

What it means: the size of the economy divided by the population, after taking out inflation. It shows whether the economy is growing faster than the number of people sharing it; total GDP can rise while GDP per person falls. Quarterly figures are multiplied by four to give a yearly amount. A change of 0.5% or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: ONS, quarterly national accounts, series IHXW.

Milestone: higher real household disposable income per person by the end of the Parliament (Plan for Change, December 2024). The line marks — in —; above it counts as on track.

What it means: the money households have to spend or save after taxes and benefits, adjusted for inflation and divided by everyone in the country. It is the measure the government chose for living standards. It moves around from quarter to quarter and is often revised, so a single quarter is a guide rather than a verdict.

Source: ONS, quarterly national accounts, series CRXX; milestone from Plan for Change.

What it means: how much the economy produces for each hour worked. Over the long run it is the main driver of higher wages. UK productivity grew about 2% a year before 2008 and well under 1% a year since. A change of 0.5% or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: ONS, labour productivity, series LZVB.

What it means: how much prices rose over the past year (CPI). The Bank of England is told to keep it at —; above that, wages and savings buy less each year.

Source: ONS, consumer price inflation, series D7G7.

What it means: the Bank of England's main rate, which steers mortgage and savings rates. It is a policy tool rather than an outcome, so it gets no rating: it goes up to bring inflation down and down to support growth.

Source: Bank of England, Bank Rate, rate at each month end.

What it means: the share of people available for work and looking for it who have no job. A rising rate is an early sign of a weakening economy.

Source: ONS, labour market statistics, series MGSX.

What it means: average weekly earnings across the whole economy, including bonuses, adjusted for consumer prices so every point is in today's money. A rising line means pay is outpacing prices. A change of 1% or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: ONS, average weekly earnings, series A3WX (real total pay), Great Britain.

What it means: what people owe to banks and other lenders, — in total, divided by — households. It is an average: about three in ten households have a mortgage and many owe nothing, so a typical household owes much less. Student loans are left out because they are repaid through earnings. The chart is in pounds of the day, so it also rises with prices and incomes.

Source: Bank of England, Money and Credit, series LPMVTXH (secured lending) and LPMBI2O (consumer credit); households from ONS, families and households in the UK: 2025.

What it means: what businesses spend on buildings, machinery, vehicles, computers and software, and research. It is a sign of confidence and drives future productivity. The chart shows each quarter in today’s prices. A change of 2% or more over a year counts.

Source: ONS, business investment, series NPEL.

Net new investment from overseas, £ billion

Investment projects by type

What it means: the pound figures, from the ONS, are money put into UK businesses by companies based abroad that own at least 10% of them, including profits they leave in the business, minus money they take out; they swing a lot because a few very large takeovers can add over £100 billion in a single year, as in 2016. The total held, — trillion pounds in —, is the value of everything overseas companies have built up in the UK. The project counts, from the Department for Business and Trade, are projects in which a company based abroad sets up a new business in the UK, expands one it already has here, or buys a stake of at least 10% in a UK company, as recorded by the Department for Business and Trade. It counts projects and the jobs they are expected to create or keep, not the money invested, so a very large project counts the same as a small one. New businesses made up — of projects in the latest year. Each year is taken from the most recent edition that covers it. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, foreign direct investment involving UK companies, 2024, inward tables 1.1 and 1.2; Department for Business and Trade, inward investment results, table 1.1 (editions for 2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2025-26).

What it means: businesses registered for VAT or PAYE that started or stopped trading in the year. A business counts as closed when it stops trading, not only through insolvency. More start-ups and more closures can both be signs of a churning, competitive economy, so these are shown for context. The ONS tables used here cover 2019 to 2024.

Source: ONS, business demography 2024, tables 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1.

What it means: everything the UK sells to other countries, from cars and medicines to financial and legal services. The chart removes the effect of price changes so years can be compared. Services make up over half of UK exports. A previous government aimed for £1 trillion of exports a year by 2030; the 2025 Trade Strategy does not repeat it, so no target is shown. A change of 2% or more counts.

Source: ONS, balance of payments, series IKBH and IKBK.

What it means: exports minus imports. The UK buys more goods from abroad than it sells, and sells more services, such as finance, insurance and consulting, than it buys. A deficit is not good or bad in itself: it is paid for by money flowing in from abroad, such as investment. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, balance of payments, series IKBJ, BOKI and IKBD.

What it means: all taxes and national insurance as a share of GDP, often called the tax burden. The latest figure is the highest since the early 1950s. Whether taxes should be higher or lower is a political choice, so this is shown for context with no rating.

Source: Office for Budget Responsibility, public finances databank (September 2026), national accounts taxes, outturn years only.

What it means: what the public sector owes, net of its cash, as a share of a year's national income. Near 100% means debt roughly equals a year of everything the economy produces. The government's fiscal rule is for a similar measure to be falling by 2029–30.

Source: ONS, public sector finances, series HF6X (excluding public sector banks).

What it means: public sector net debt divided by the number of households. Households do not owe this directly; it is carried by the government and paid for over time through taxes. The chart shows total debt in pounds, which also rises with inflation, so the national debt card, as a share of GDP, is the better guide to whether debt is becoming harder to afford.

Source: ONS, public sector finances, series HF6W; households from ONS, families and households in the UK: 2025.

Pledge: — of patients waiting under 18 weeks by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: the NHS constitution standard is that — of people waiting for planned hospital treatment should have waited less than 18 weeks. It has not been met for a decade. A rising line means waits are getting shorter.

Source: NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, England, including estimates for trusts that did not report.

What it means: the number of planned treatments people in England are waiting for. Some people wait for more than one, so the number of patients is a little lower. The pledge is about how long people wait rather than how many, so this has no target of its own.

Source: NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, including estimates for trusts that did not report.

Target: — by —. Starting from — in —, when the target was set, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: the share of people attending any type of A&E who were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving. The constitutional standard is 95%, last met in 2015. The NHS planning target is 82% by March 2027, then 85%. A rising line is good.

Source: NHS England, A&E attendances and emergency admissions, monthly time series; target from the NHS medium term planning framework (October 2025).

Target: — by —. Starting from — in —, when the target was set, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: people in England urgently referred with suspected cancer, or picked up by screening, who started their first treatment within two months. The standard is 85%, last met in 2015. The NHS planning target is 80% by March 2027. A rising line is good.

Source: NHS England, cancer waiting times, national time series (combined 62-day standard); target from the NHS medium term planning framework.

New diagnoses per 100,000 people (age-standardised)

Deaths from cancer under 75, per 100,000 people (age-standardised)

What it means: new cases of cancer diagnosed in England each year, leaving out the two most common skin cancers, which are rarely serious, and the death rate from cancer before the age of 75. Both rates are adjusted for the age of the population so years can be compared: there are more diagnoses mainly because there are more older people, while the rate of diagnosis has changed much less (— per 100,000 in the latest year). Diagnoses dipped in 2020 when fewer people came forward during Covid. The early death rate has fallen steadily. Status compares the death rate with the year before: a change of 2% or more counts.

Source: NHS England, cancer registration statistics, England 2024; OHID public health profiles, indicator 40501.

Share of people with dementia who have a diagnosis, aged 65 and over

Deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease per 100,000 people (age-standardised)

What it means: GP records show how many older people have a dementia diagnosis; this is compared with an estimate of how many have dementia, to show the share diagnosed. A diagnosis gives access to treatment and support. The NHS has aimed for at least two thirds since 2013; the rate fell during Covid and has been recovering. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the leading cause of death in England; the death rate rose through the 2000s and 2010s partly because doctors record dementia on death certificates more often than they used to. Status compares the diagnosis rate with the year before: half a point or more counts.

Source: OHID dementia profile, indicators 92949 and 93967 (from NHS England primary care dementia data and ONS death registrations).

What it means: how long people waited between booking a GP appointment and having it, across all GP appointments in England. It covers appointments that were booked, so it cannot show people who tried and failed to get one. Some appointments are booked well ahead on purpose, such as reviews. The solid line is within two weeks, the fainter line the same day. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: NHS England, appointments in general practice (official statistics in development).

What it means: England has no registration with a dentist, so there is no official count of people who 'have' an NHS dentist. This is the standard measure of access: the share of adults who were actually seen by an NHS dentist in the previous two years. About 60% of children were seen in the last year. People who use private dentists, or who tried and failed to get an NHS appointment, are not counted. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: NHS Business Services Authority, NHS dental statistics for England 2025/26, table 4b.

Target: cut early deaths from heart disease and stroke by — within a decade, taken here as — per 100,000 by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: deaths before the age of 75 from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular disease, adjusted for the age of the population so years can be compared. The target comes from the 10 Year Health Plan (July 2025). It is stated as cutting deaths, so this card uses the death rate, starting from 2024, the last full year before the plan. A falling line is good.

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, public health profiles, indicator 40401; target from the 10 Year Health Plan.

Hospital admissions per 1,000 people

Outpatient appointments attended per 1,000 people

What it means: how much NHS hospitals in England do, scaled by the size of the population. An admission is a stay in a hospital bed, including day cases: — were planned (elective) and — emergencies in the latest year, with the rest mostly maternity. Outpatient appointments are visits to a hospital clinic without staying in, including follow-ups and video or phone appointments; a further — were missed by patients. Both fell sharply in 2020-21 during Covid. More activity can mean more need as well as more treatment, so this is shown for context. Rates use the population at the start of each financial year.

Source: NHS England, Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity 2025-26, summary table 1; Hospital Outpatient Activity 2025-26, summary report 1; population from ONS mid-year estimates (ENPOP).

What it means: appointments booked at GP practices in England, in person, by phone or online, divided by the number of patients registered. The rest are with nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other staff working in practices. Covid vaccinations are left out. These statistics are still being developed and cover almost all practices; earlier years are not comparable, so the series starts in 2021-22. Shown for context.

Source: NHS England, Appointments in General Practice, summary table 1a (September 2023, 2024 and 2026 editions), summed by financial year.

What it means: how long a baby born now would live on average if death rates stayed as they are, worked out from three years of deaths at a time to smooth out swings. Gains slowed sharply after 2011 and fell back during Covid. The solid line is the simple average of women and men; the fainter lines are women (solid) and men (dotted). No numeric target applies, so the status compares with the previous period: a change of 0.1 years or more counts.

Source: ONS, national life tables, UK, period life expectancy at age 0.

What it means: how many years a baby born now could expect to live in good health, based on how people rate their own health in surveys combined with death rates. It has fallen for both sexes over the past decade while overall life expectancy has barely changed, so more years are lived in poor health. The solid line is the simple average of women and men; the fainter lines are women (solid) and men (dotted). A change of 0.1 years or more on the previous period counts.

Source: ONS, healthy life expectancy, UK, at birth, released February 2026.

What it means: deaths before the age of 75 from conditions such as treatable cancers, heart disease, diabetes and infections, where good, timely care should usually prevent death. It is adjusted for the age of the population so years and countries can be compared, using the definition agreed by the OECD and Eurostat. It fell by about a third in the 2000s and has barely changed since the early 2010s. The solid line is all people; the fainter lines are women (solid) and men (dotted). A change of 2 or more per 100,000 on the year before counts.

Source: OECD Data Explorer, avoidable mortality (treatable causes, United Kingdom), compiled from ONS, NRS and NISRA death registrations.

What it means: the share of babies who die before their first birthday, a standard measure of a country's health and care for mothers and babies. It fell steadily for decades and has levelled off since the mid-2010s. A change of 0.1 or more on the year before counts as a change in status.

Source: ONS, child and infant mortality in England and Wales, table 1 (2023 and 2024 editions). Rates worked out from the published numbers.

What it means: the share of children in England who have had routine vaccines by a given age. The solid line is both doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) by age 5; the fainter lines are the first MMR dose by age 2 (— in the latest year) and the 6-in-1 vaccine by age 1, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib and hepatitis B. The World Health Organization says 95% coverage is needed to stop measles spreading; none of these has reached it in England in this period. All three have drifted down since the early 2010s. A change of half a point or more on the year before counts.

Source: OHID public health profiles, indicators 30303, 30309 and 30311, from UKHSA’s COVER vaccination data.

Measles, confirmed cases

Whooping cough (pertussis), confirmed cases

What it means: cases confirmed by laboratory tests in England each year. Both diseases are preventable by routine childhood vaccines (see the vaccinations card) and spread in outbreaks, so numbers jump from year to year: measles peaked at — in — and whooping cough at — in —. Both fell to almost nothing in 2020 and 2021, when Covid restrictions limited contact between people. Shown for context, as one year’s count says little about the trend.

Source: UKHSA, measles: historic confirmed cases and pertussis: laboratory confirmed cases, annual report for 2025.

What it means: cases of invasive meningococcal disease confirmed by laboratory tests, the main cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia in children and young people. In — there were — cases and — deaths; vaccines against the C strain (from 1999), the B strain for babies (from 2015) and the ACWY strains for teenagers (from 2015) have cut cases by —. Cases fell to a very low level during Covid restrictions. Meningitis caused by other bacteria or by viruses is not included, as there is no comparable national series. Each year runs from July to June. Shown for context.

Source: UKHSA, invasive meningococcal disease in England, annual report 2025 to 2026, supplementary tables 2 and 7.

Flu vaccine uptake, aged 65 and over

Deaths attributed to flu, October to March

What it means: the share of older people vaccinated against flu each winter, and UKHSA’s estimate of deaths caused by flu, worked out by comparing deaths with how much flu was circulating; this series starts in 2022-23. Uptake rose to — during Covid and has drifted down since; the World Health Organization recommends at least 75%. Flu deaths vary a lot with the strain and how well the vaccine matches it: — in —. Status compares uptake with the year before: half a point or more counts.

Source: OHID public health profiles, indicator 30314; UKHSA, influenza in the UK annual report, winter 2025 to 2026, figure 54 data, summed for weeks 40 to 13.

What it means: UKHSA’s estimate of how many more people died during heat episodes than would normally be expected, mostly people aged 75 and over. The estimate is uncertain: for the latest summer the likely range is — to —. Summer 2025 was the UK’s warmest on record, but fewer people died than the hot weather would have predicted. Reports before 2023 used a slightly different method. Deaths from flooding and storms are too few and too scattered for an official yearly count. Shown for context.

Source: UKHSA, heat mortality monitoring reports, England, 2020 to 2025.

Deaths linked to cold spells, England (UKHSA, from 2024-25)

Extra deaths in winter compared with the rest of the year, England and Wales (ONS, to 2021-22)

What it means: UKHSA’s estimate of how many more people died during spells of cold weather than would normally be expected. Cold weather and flu often come together, so UKHSA also gives a figure that allows for flu (fainter line). The likely range for the latest winter is — to —. UKHSA’s reports started in winter 2024 to 2025, so there are only two years so far. For a longer view, the second chart shows the ONS’s older measure for England and Wales, which it stopped publishing after —: all extra deaths in December to March compared with the rest of the year, from every cause including flu and Covid. It is much higher because it counts the whole winter, not just cold spells. It fell from — in — to an average of about — a winter in the ten winters before Covid, and reached — in 2020-21. The two measures cannot be joined into one series. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, winter mortality in England and Wales, table 1; UKHSA, cold mortality monitoring reports, England, table 1.

What it means: babies born at full term (37 weeks or more) who are still small, which is linked to smoking in pregnancy, poor nutrition and deprivation, and to poorer health later in life. Premature babies are left out because they are small for a different reason. The share has barely changed in twenty years. A change of 0.1 points or more counts.

Source: OHID, public health outcomes framework, indicator 20101 (Fingertips).

What it means: the share of adults aged 16 and over with a body mass index of 30 or more, measured by survey nurses and interviewers rather than self-reported. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. There are no results for 2020 or 2023. A change of one point or more on the previous survey counts.

Source: NHS England, Health Survey for England 2024, adult overweight and obesity table 3.

What it means: almost every child in England is weighed and measured in reception and year 6. The solid line is year 6, the fainter line reception. Rates jumped during Covid, when fewer children were measured in 2019/20 and 2020/21, and have fallen back only partly since. A change of half a point or more on the year before counts.

Source: DHSC, National Child Measurement Programme 2024 to 2025, table 2 (obesity including severe obesity).

Minutes a day of exercise, sport and wellbeing activities, Great Britain

What it means: the UK’s chief medical officers recommend adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Sport England’s Active Lives survey asks people aged 16 and over what they did in the past four weeks: — million adults met the guideline in —, against — of adults in —. Each survey year runs from mid-November, so 2019-20 and 2020-21 include the Covid lockdowns. The second chart comes from the ONS time use survey, where people record what they do through a day: in — adults averaged — a day on exercise, sport and wellbeing activities such as yoga or meditation, and the — who did any on the day spent —. A change of one point or more in the active share counts.

Source: Sport England, Active Lives Adult Survey, November 2024-25, table 1b; ONS, time use in the UK, March 2026, tables 1 to 3.

What it means: adults aged 18 and over who say they currently smoke cigarettes, from the largest UK household survey. The dashed line marks the ambition, first set in 2019, for England to be smokefree by 2030, meaning 5% or fewer adults smoking; the Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to stop anyone born after 2008 ever being able to buy tobacco. Vaping is not counted. A change of half a point or more counts.

Source: OHID public health profiles, indicator 92443, from the ONS Annual Population Survey.

What it means: the UK chief medical officers advise drinking no more than 14 units a week, about six pints of average-strength beer or six medium glasses of wine. This is the share of adults in England who report usually drinking more than that. People tend to under-report how much they drink. There was no survey in 2020 or 2023. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: NHS England, Health Survey for England 2024, adults’ health-related behaviours, table 9.

Alcohol-specific deaths per 100,000 people (age-standardised)

What it means: deaths from conditions caused only by alcohol, mostly alcohol-related liver disease, plus alcohol poisoning. It does not include deaths where alcohol was one of several causes, such as some cancers, heart disease and accidents, so the full toll is higher. Rates are adjusted for the age of the population. The rate was broadly flat through the 2010s, rose sharply from 2020 and has started to fall back. Men’s rate (—) is about twice women’s (—). A change of 5% or more in the rate on the year before counts.

Source: ONS, alcohol-specific deaths in the UK, registered in 2024, table 1.

What it means: the share of people who tell the Crime Survey for England and Wales they used an illegal drug in the previous year. Cannabis is by far the most common (—); Class A drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy, are the fainter dotted line. In — the figure was —. Use among 16 to 24 year olds (fainter solid line) is much higher than for all ages and has fallen since 2019-20. People may not report all their drug use, and the survey misses people not living in households, so the true figures are likely higher. There was no survey in 2020-21 or 2021-22. A change of half a point or more on the previous survey counts.

Source: ONS, drug misuse in England and Wales, appendix tables, year ending March 2025, tables 1.02 and 1.08.

What it means: deaths where poisoning by a drug was the cause, including illegal drugs, prescription medicines and suicides by overdose. Of these, — were classed as drug misuse, meaning illegal drugs or drug abuse or dependence. The fainter lines show deaths where opiates such as heroin (—) and cocaine were mentioned; one death can involve several drugs. Cocaine deaths have risen from — in —. Deaths are counted when registered, which can be months after they happen because of inquests. The age-standardised rate was — per million people. A change of 5% or more on the year before counts.

Source: ONS, deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales, 2025 registrations, table 4.

Gonorrhoea and syphilis, per 100,000 people

What it means: new infections diagnosed at sexual health clinics and online testing services, per 100,000 residents. The total is dominated by chlamydia, much of which is found through screening of young people, so it moves with how much testing happens: the fall in 2020 and 2021 reflects clinics closing during Covid, not less infection. Gonorrhoea and syphilis have risen sharply over the decade. A change of 5% or more counts.

Source: OHID, sexual and reproductive health profiles (Fingertips), indicators 91523, 90759 and 90742; UKHSA, STI annual data.

What it means: all meat and meat products, including bacon, sausages, ready meals and takeaways, bought for eating at home plus meat eaten out, per person per week across the UK. Eating out fell sharply during the 2020/21 lockdowns while buying for home rose. How much meat people should eat is a matter of health and environmental advice rather than a government target, so this is shown for context.

Source: Defra, Family Food, UK household purchases.

What it means: the food households bring home, recorded in diaries of everything they buy, in grams per person per week across the UK. It leaves out food eaten in cafés, restaurants and takeaways, and counts food that is bought even if it is later thrown away. The groups in the chart came to — a week in —, against — in —. Bread, cereals, cakes and biscuits are the largest group by weight (—). Since —, potatoes have fallen from — to —, sugar and preserves from — to — and fats from — to —, while fruit has risen from — to —. Each person also bought — of milk and milk products, — eggs, — of soft drinks and — of sweets and chocolate a week. Shown for context.

Source: Defra, Family Food, UK household purchases (quantities), published 17 September 2026.

What it means: public spending on health across the UK, including the NHS, divided by the population, with all years in 2025-26 prices. The 2020-21 peak is Covid spending such as testing and vaccines. It does not show what that money buys: an older population needs more care for the same spending.

Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, table 4.3 (health, real terms); population from ONS mid-year estimates, series UKPOP.

What it means: what councils in England spend each year on care and support for adults who are older, disabled or ill, such as care homes, help at home and support for carers, in today’s prices. It includes money from the NHS and from people paying towards their own council-arranged care, but not care that people arrange and pay for entirely themselves. Real spending fell to — in — and has risen since, while the number of older people has grown. It does not show how much care that money buys, as the costs of care can rise faster or slower than general inflation. Shown for context.

Source: DHSC, adult social care finance report, England, 2025 to 2026, table 4 (gross current expenditure, real terms using the GDP deflator).

Target: — by the — school year. Starting from — in —, the latest results before the target was set, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: teachers assess every child at the end of reception year in England. A good level of development means a child is at the expected level in the core areas such as communication, reading, writing and maths. The assessment changed in 2021, so earlier years are left out.

Source: DfE, early years foundation stage profile results; target from Giving every child the best start in life.

Pledge: — more teachers by the end of this parliament (taken here as —) than in —.

What it means: full-time-equivalent teachers in secondary schools, special schools and further education colleges in England, as counted by the government for this pledge. Primary schools are not part of it, and teacher numbers there have been falling.

Source: DfE, school workforce in England (2025) and the 6,500 teachers delivery plan.

What it means: the share of schools whose most recent Ofsted inspection judged them good or outstanding overall. Ofsted stopped giving a single overall grade in September 2024, so August 2024 is the last figure and it will not be updated. Since November 2025 schools get report cards that grade several areas separately; by March 2026 only about 900 schools (4%) had one, too few to represent all schools. In those, the share at "expected standard" or better ranged from 70% for achievement to 95% for personal development. This card will switch to the new measure once enough schools have been inspected. Shown for context with no rating.

Source: Ofsted, state-funded schools inspections and outcomes as at 31 August 2024, chart 5; report card figures from the 31 March 2026 release.

What it means: pupils in state schools in England who missed at least one day in ten, for any reason. It roughly doubled after Covid and has been falling since 2021/22 but remains well above pre-pandemic levels. There is no figure for 2019/20, when schools closed. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DfE, pupil absence in schools in England, national persistent absence.

What it means: the share of pupils in state-funded schools in England who achieved a strong pass (grade 5 or above) in both English and maths at the end of year 11. Exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 and grades were set by teachers, which is why results jumped; grading returned to normal in 2023. The latest year is provisional. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DfE, key stage 4 performance.

What it means: students in state-funded schools and colleges in England who completed A levels or other level 3 qualifications, and then stayed in degree-level study or a higher apprenticeship for at least six months by age 19. It shows progression for people taking the usual route, not the share of the whole population. Figures take time to follow up, so the latest cohort finished school in 2023. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DfE, progression to higher education or training.

What it means: young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), whether looking for work or not, across the UK. Figures come from the Labour Force Survey, which has had falling response rates, so small changes are uncertain. A change of half a point or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: ONS, young people not in education, employment or training, table 1 (seasonally adjusted).

What it means: the Crime Survey for England and Wales asks people which crimes they have experienced, including ones never reported to the police, so it is the best guide to long-term trends. This total leaves out fraud and computer misuse, which have only been counted since the mid-2010s; with them, the latest total is —. The survey paused during Covid, hence the gap. No numeric target applies, so the status compares with a year earlier.

Source: ONS, Crime in England and Wales, appendix table A1a.

What it means: the Crime Survey for England and Wales asks adults about frauds and scams they have experienced in the year to March, whether or not they reported them. Bank and credit account fraud, such as a stolen card being used, made up — of incidents. Consumer and retail fraud covers things like goods paid for and never sent; advance fee fraud means being asked to pay upfront for a promised prize, loan or inheritance. In about a quarter of cases no money is lost, and much of what is taken is refunded by banks; the median loss counts money taken before any refund. The survey paused during Covid, so there are no figures for 2020-21 or 2021-22; the chart joins the years either side. No official statistics give a total for money lost to fraud by people or businesses; the most widely quoted total comes from the banking industry body UK Finance. A change of 5% or more on the year before counts.

Source: ONS, Crime in England and Wales, appendix table A1a; median loss from ONS, nature of crime: fraud and computer misuse, table 9a.

Pledge: halve knife crime in a decade, to — by —. Starting from — in the —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, in England and Wales. The government has not published a fixed baseline, so this uses the last full year before the pledge. A falling line is good.

Source: ONS, Crime in England and Wales, appendix table B5, including homicide.

What it means: murders, manslaughters and infanticides recorded by the police in England and Wales, counted in the year they were recorded, per million people. Single events can cause spikes: the 2016/17 figure includes the 96 victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, recorded after the new inquests, and 2017/18 includes the Manchester Arena and London terror attacks. A change of 5% or more in the rate counts.

Source: ONS, homicide in England and Wales, year ending March 2025, appendix table 1 (Home Office Homicide Index).

Pledge: — by —, from — on —. The straight path needed — by now.

What it means: full-time-equivalent police officers and police community support officers working in neighbourhood policing in England and Wales, as counted under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. It does not show the total size of the police.

Source: Home Office, police workforce, neighbourhood policing table NHP6.

What it means: the share of offences recorded by police in England and Wales that ended with a suspect being charged or summonsed to court, the main measure of crimes being solved. Most other crimes are closed without a suspect being identified or because of evidential difficulties, such as the victim not supporting a prosecution. Recent years can rise slightly as investigations still open are completed. Fraud reported to Action Fraud is not included. A change of half a point or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: Home Office, crime outcomes in England and Wales, year ending March 2026, table 1.3.

What it means: open cases in the Crown Court in England and Wales, which hears the most serious criminal cases. The backlog grows when more cases arrive than are completed. It rose sharply when courts closed during Covid and has kept rising since, which means longer waits for victims, witnesses and defendants. A change of 2% or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: Ministry of Justice, criminal court statistics quarterly, table C1.

What it means: everyone held in prison on the last day of the quarter, including people on remand awaiting trial or sentence. Prisons have been close to full in recent years, which led to early releases from September 2024; that is the dip in the chart. Shown for context, with no rating, because no numeric target applies.

Source: Ministry of Justice, offender management statistics, prison population data tool, quarter ends from September 2015.

What it means: the share of people released from prison, given a court sentence other than prison, or cautioned, who commit another offence within a year that leads to a court conviction or caution. The solid line is adults, the fainter line children. Figures lag by about two years because of the time needed for follow-up and court cases. A change of one point or more counts as a change in status.

Source: Ministry of Justice, proven reoffending statistics, table A1, three-monthly cohorts, England and Wales.

Pledge: — homes by —, counted from —. The full count for — was — net new homes, — on the year before.

What it means: hitting the target needs about — extra homes a year, well above anything in the chart's annual figures. The count so far uses the government's own early estimate, based on energy certificates issued for new homes.

Source: MHCLG, indicators of new supply and net additional dwellings. The March 2026 point is worked out from the published totals.

What it means: the median house price divided by median full-time annual earnings of people working in England and Wales. A ratio of 7.5 means a typical home costs seven and a half years of a typical salary before tax. A falling line means homes are becoming more affordable; a change of 0.2 or more counts.

Source: ONS, housing affordability in England and Wales, table 1c (year to September).

What it means: households by whether they own their home, outright or with a mortgage, or rent it from a private landlord or from a council or housing association (social renting). Since —, private renting has grown from — to — of households and social renting has fallen from — to —. Home ownership was — in —. More households now own outright (—) than with a mortgage (—). Figures to 2008 are for calendar years from earlier surveys; from 2008-09 they come from the English Housing Survey and cover financial years. Shown for context.

Source: MHCLG, English Housing Survey, trends in tenure, table FT1101.

What it means: the average (mean) age of the person named as responsible for the home, among households that bought their first home in the previous three years. There were about — of these recent first-time buyers in —. The figures come from a survey, and London is based on a small sample, so its line moves around more. Shown for context.

Source: MHCLG, English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025 headline findings, annex tables 3.2 and 3.3.

What it means: councils count or estimate everyone sleeping rough in their area on one typical night each October or November. It is the longest-running measure, though it misses people who move around or stay hidden. The government's target, set in December 2025, is to halve the number of people sleeping rough long-term by the end of this parliament. That is measured with newer monthly figures that are not on this page yet, so this card compares with a year earlier instead.

Source: MHCLG, rough sleeping snapshot in England, table 1; target from A national plan to end homelessness.

Target: end the use of B&Bs for families beyond six weeks by the end of this parliament (taken here as —). Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: councils must not house families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks, except in emergencies. This counts families over that limit on the last day of each quarter in England. The target is in the National Plan to End Homelessness (December 2025).

Source: MHCLG, statutory homelessness England time series, table TA1.

What it means: homes rated A, B or C on the energy performance scale used for EPC certificates, from surveyors’ inspections of a sample of homes. Better-rated homes are cheaper to heat and produce less carbon. The aim since 2017 has been for as many homes as possible to reach band C by 2035, and for fuel-poor homes by 2030, but there is no fixed national figure to track against. A change of two points or more counts.

Source: MHCLG, English Housing Survey 2024-25, energy efficiency annex table 2.3.

What it means: children living in households with less than 60% of the typical (median) income once rent or mortgage costs are paid. This is the most widely used UK measure of child poverty. From 2021/22 the survey is linked to benefit and tax records, which gives more accurate incomes, so earlier years are not exactly comparable; 2020/21 was affected by Covid. The government's Child Poverty Strategy of December 2025 estimates its measures will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament; this is a forecast rather than a formal target, so the status compares with the year before, where one point or more counts.

Source: DWP, households below average income 1994/95 to 2024/25, table 1.4a, UK (Great Britain before 2002/03).

Households with children Households without children

What it means: there is no official figure for how much parents spend on their children, because most spending, such as rent, energy and food, is shared by the whole household. The Living Costs and Food Survey does show how spending differs between the — million UK households with children, which have — people on average, and those without, which have —. Households with children spend more in total, especially on food (— against —), transport, clothing and education, but less per person, because the money is shared among more people. The two groups also differ in age and income, so the gap is not the cost of a child. “Other items” covers things such as mortgage interest, council tax, holiday spending and money given to others. FYE 2025 is the year to March 2025. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, Family spending workbook 4, FYE 2025, tables A56 and A57.

What it means: households that, over the previous 30 days, had to cut the quality or amount of food they ate, or skip meals, because they could not afford enough. Measured with standard survey questions since 2019/20. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DWP, Family Resources Survey 2024 to 2025, table 9.1, UK.

What it means: what people spend on groceries, from diaries in which households record everything they buy, divided by the number of people in the household. The main line allows for changes in food prices, using the consumer prices index for food and non-alcoholic drinks, so every year is shown in — prices. On that basis, spending was lowest in —, at —, after the sharp rise in food prices in 2022 and 2023; it was — in —, when the cash figure was —. Spending for the home jumped in 2020-21, when cafés and restaurants were closed for long periods. On top of the grocery shop, each person spent — a week on alcohol for the home and — on food and drink eaten out, — in all. A household’s shop is larger than these figures: the average household has more than two people. Shown for context.

Source: Defra, Family Food, UK household and eating out expenditure, published 17 September 2026; ONS, CPI index for food and non-alcoholic beverages (D7BU).

Where the food eaten in the UK comes from, 2025

What it means: UK food production as a share of all the food supplied here, valued at the farm gate before processing. The lower figure includes foods such as bananas, coffee and rice that cannot be grown in the UK. The share rose after the Second World War, peaked in the 1980s and has been around 60% for two decades. It can dip in years with poor harvests. Defra stopped publishing “food miles” around 2010. Shown for context.

Source: Defra, food statistics pocketbook (July 2026), production to supply ratio and origins of food (from Agriculture in the United Kingdom, chapter 14).

What it means: households that live in a home below energy efficiency band C and would be left below the poverty line after paying for the energy they need. Because it depends on energy efficiency, insulation improvements reduce it even when bills rise. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DESNZ, fuel poverty trends 2026, table 1 (low income low energy efficiency measure).

What it means: the Gini coefficient is the standard international measure of how unevenly income is shared. UK income inequality rose sharply in the 1980s and has changed little since the early 1990s. The solid line is income before housing costs; the fainter line is after housing costs, which shows more inequality because poorer households spend more of their income on rent. From 2021/22 the survey is linked to benefit and tax records. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DWP, households below average income, table 1.2b, UK.

What it means: how much less women earn per hour than men, comparing the typical (median) hourly pay of all employees, excluding overtime. It reflects differences in the jobs, hours and seniority of men and women as well as any unequal pay for the same work, which is illegal. The gap among all employees is larger than among full-time staff because more women work part time, where hourly pay is lower. The solid line is all employees, the fainter line full-time employees. A change of half a point or more counts.

Source: ONS, gender pay gap in the UK: 2026, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

What it means: women’s share of people working in the most senior group of jobs in the official occupation classification, from directors and senior public officials to managers of businesses and services. Women make up about 48% of everyone in work. The fainter line is the much smaller group of chief executives and senior officials, where the survey sample is small and the figure moves around from year to year. Figures start in 2021, when the occupation classification changed. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey via Nomis, occupation (SOC2020) by sex.

What it means: the share of adults who say they feel lonely often or always, the government's standard measure of chronic loneliness. There is no figure for 2022/23 in this series. A change of half a point or more on the previous survey counts.

Source: DCMS, Community Life Survey 2024/25, time series table.

What it means: the ONS asks a large sample of adults how satisfied they are with their life, how happy they felt yesterday, and how anxious, each on a 0 to 10 scale. This is the UK's official happiness measure. Scores are averages and move slowly; a change of 0.1 or more counts. The latest UK figures published in this series are for April to June 2023.

Source: ONS, quarterly personal well-being estimates, UK, seasonally adjusted means.

What it means: the UN's summary measure of a country's development, combining life expectancy, years of schooling and income per person. The fainter line adjusts it for how unequally health, education and income are shared; the gap between the two lines is the loss from inequality. It is compiled by the UN Development Programme, an international body, rather than a UK statistics office, and the latest figures are for —. The method is revised each year and past years are recalculated, so use the chart rather than older reports to compare years. A change of 0.003 or more counts.

Source: UN Development Programme, Human Development Report 2025, composite indices time series.

What it means: the World Press Freedom Index scores how free journalists are to work, covering political pressure, the economics of news, law, social attitudes and safety. Higher is better. It is compiled by Reporters Without Borders, an international non-governmental organisation, rather than a government statistics body. The method changed in 2022, so earlier years are not shown. A score change of one point or more counts.

Source: Reporters Without Borders, World Press Freedom Index, 2022 to 2026.

Pubs, bars and clubs opened and closed each year

What it means: businesses whose main activity is running a pub or bar, from the register of VAT and PAYE businesses. Most pubs are run as single businesses, so this is close to a count of pubs, but a company running several pubs counts once, and pub restaurants may be counted as restaurants. Nightclubs (licensed clubs) have fallen by — since 2010. ONS does not publish pubs and bars separately. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, UK business counts (Nomis), SIC 56302 and 56301; ONS, business demography 2024, tables 1.2 and 2.2 (SIC 563).

Restaurants and food outlets opened and closed each year

What it means: businesses registered as licensed restaurants, unlicensed restaurants and cafes, and takeaways and food vans. All three have grown strongly since 2010 as eating out and delivery have grown. Openings and closures are high every year: food outlets are among the most common new businesses and among the most likely to close. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, UK business counts (Nomis), SIC 56101, 56102 and 56103; ONS, business demography 2024, tables 1.2 and 2.2 (SIC 561).

What it means: there is no official count of music venues. The nearest is businesses whose main activity is running an arts facility, which includes concert halls and arts centres as well as theatres. Small pubs and bars that host live music are counted as pubs. The Music Venue Trust, a charity, tracks grassroots music venues and reports frequent closures, but its figures are not official statistics and are not used here. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, UK business counts (Nomis), SIC 90040; ONS, business demography 2024, tables 1.2 and 2.2 (SIC 90).

Hospitality vacancies, thousands

What it means: jobs in accommodation and food services, the official industry group for hospitality, including part-time jobs and the self-employed. Hospitality is one of the largest employers of young and part-time workers. The industry’s output is — compared with the end of 2019, after inflation. A change in jobs of 2% or more over a year counts.

Source: ONS, workforce jobs by industry (JWS5); ONS, vacancies by industry (JP9O); ONS output index (L2NQ).

What it means: the average price of a pint in pubs and bars across the UK, from the prices collected for inflation statistics. ONS stopped publishing these averages after January 2025, so the latest price is not available; the inflation rate for hotels, cafes and restaurants, which includes drinks bought in pubs, continues monthly. Beer duty, VAT, wages and energy costs all feed into the price. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, average price of draught lager (CZMS) and bitter (CZMT); CPI annual rate for hotels, cafes and restaurants (D7GI).

Spending by visitors to the UK and by UK residents abroad, £bn

What it means: trips to the UK by people who live abroad, for holidays, business, study or visiting friends, from the passenger survey at ports and airports. Spending is in cash terms. In — UK residents spent £—bn on trips abroad, against £—bn spent here by overseas visitors: a tourism deficit of £—bn. The survey stopped during Covid, and the 2025 figures are first estimates. Shown for context.

Source: VisitBritain, inbound visits and spend and long-term trends tables (from the ONS International Passenger Survey).

Overnight trips by purpose

What it means: trips of at least one night away from home within England, Scotland and Wales, from the Great Britain Tourism Survey. Visiting friends and family is the most common reason, then holidays. Day trips are counted separately and are not included. The survey changed method in 2022, so only recent years can be compared, and a long-run series is not shown. Shown for context.

Source: VisitBritain and VisitEngland, Great Britain Tourism Survey 2024, annual tables.

What it means: the share of station stops in Great Britain where the train arrived early or less than a minute late, the industry's main measure of punctuality since 2019. Performance is usually worst in autumn, when leaves on the line slow trains. The status compares with the same quarter a year earlier; one point or more counts.

Source: Office of Rail and Road, passenger rail performance, table 3133.

What it means: the share of planned passenger trains that were fully or partly cancelled. A partly cancelled train counts as half. A change of half a point or more on the same quarter a year earlier counts.

Source: Office of Rail and Road, passenger rail performance, table 3123, Great Britain.

What it means: the average change in ticket prices across all operators and ticket types in Great Britain, weighted by how much each ticket is used. The chart shows fares after taking out inflation (measured by the Retail Prices Index), with 1995 set to 100: a rising line means fares have grown faster than prices in general. This is a price index, not an average ticket cost, because journeys vary so much in length. Shown for context with no rating.

Source: Office of Rail and Road, rail fares index, table 7180.

What it means: everyone arriving at or leaving a UK airport, so a return trip counts twice and passengers changing planes are counted at each airport. Flying collapsed during Covid and has now recovered to around its 2019 level. More flying supports jobs and trade but adds to emissions; aviation is one of the hardest sectors to cut. Shown for context.

Source: DfT, aviation statistics, table AVI0101 (from Civil Aviation Authority airport data).

Greenhouse gases from flights, million tonnes

Fuel used per tonne-km carried (2000 = 100)

What it means: greenhouse gases from the fuel burned by all flights departing UK airports, by any airline, and by domestic flights within the UK (— million tonnes of the total). Emissions rise and fall with the fuel burned. International flights are not counted in the UK’s official carbon budgets until 2033 but are reported alongside them. The per-passenger figure is a rough guide worked out on this page: total emissions divided by half the — million passengers counted at UK airports, since each passenger is counted on departure and arrival. Long-haul flights produce far more per passenger than short ones. The second chart shows how efficiently air transport uses fuel: the energy used for each tonne carried one kilometre, counting each passenger as a fixed weight and adding freight. It was — in — (2000 = 100), so flights carry about a fifth more for the same fuel than in 2000. It jumped in 2020 and 2021 when planes flew nearly empty during Covid. No official figure gives CO2 per passenger-kilometre for all flights from the UK: passenger-kilometres are only published for UK airlines, while the emissions cover every airline. The effect of emissions at high altitude, which adds to warming, is not included. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, final UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics, tables 1.2 and 5.1; passengers from DfT aviation statistics, table AVI0101; fuel per tonne-km from DESNZ, Energy Consumption in the UK 2026, table I2.

What it means: the total distance travelled by every passenger on UK-registered airlines. It is the best published measure of how far people fly, but it leaves out UK residents flying with foreign airlines and includes foreign residents flying with UK ones. The tables used here start in 2014. Shown for context.

Source: DfT, aviation statistics, table AVI0201.

What it means: adults who cycled for any reason, whether to get somewhere or for leisure, at least once a week. It shows how many people cycle, not how far. The government’s walking and cycling strategy aims for half of short journeys in towns to be walked or cycled by 2030, but that is not published as a single national figure. The latest figures are for 2023. A change of half a point or more counts.

Source: DfT, walking and cycling statistics, table CW0302 (Sport England Active Lives survey).

Target: 55% of all short journey stages in towns and cities walked or cycled by 2035 (third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3), June 2026). The target was set in 2026 and the latest figures are for 2023, so it is too early to judge progress.

What it means: trips of under five miles made by people living in towns and cities, where walking or cycling was the main way of travelling. The target counts every stage of a journey, such as walking to a bus stop, so its figures will be a little higher than these when DfT publishes them. The share rose during Covid as people made fewer longer trips. It comes from the National Travel Survey, so single years move around.

Source: DfT, walking and cycling statistics, table CW0415; target from the third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3), June 2026.

Target: 60% of children aged 5 to 16 usually walking or cycling to school by 2035 (third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3), June 2026). The target was set in 2026 and the latest figures are for 2023, so it is too early to judge progress.

What it means: how children usually get to school, as reported by an adult in the household in the National Travel Survey. Primary pupils are more likely to walk than secondary pupils, who more often take the bus. Cycling to school remains rare. Single years move around because the survey sample is modest.

Source: DfT, walking and cycling statistics, table CW0410; target from the third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3), June 2026.

What it means: battery electric cars as a share of all cars registered for the first time in Great Britain. Under the zero emission vehicle mandate, manufacturers must make 28% of new car sales zero-emission in 2025, rising to 80% in 2030, though they can use credits and flexibilities to meet it. A change of two points or more counts.

Source: DfT, vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH1153.

Real-world miles per gallon (all car miles ÷ all car petrol and diesel)

Average official CO2 of new cars, grams per km

What it means: the first chart is worked out on this page: the — billion miles driven by cars and taxis divided by the — billion litres of petrol and diesel they used, so it reflects real driving rather than lab tests. Since about 2020 a growing share of miles are driven on electricity, which lifts the figure, so it now overstates how far a petrol or diesel car goes on a gallon. Miles cover Great Britain and fuel the whole UK, which lowers the figure slightly. The second chart is the official test figure for new cars sold each year, including electric cars at zero; the test changed between 2018 and 2021, which explains the jump in petrol and diesel figures then. Shown for context.

Source: DfT road traffic statistics, table TRA0101; DESNZ, Energy Consumption in the UK 2026, table C8 (litres per tonne from DUKES annex A); DfT vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0156.

Expectation: around 300,000 public chargers by 2030 (Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, 2022, which the government has said it is on course for). Starting from — in —, when the current measure begins, the straight path needs — by now.

What it means: chargers anyone can use, at car parks, streets, supermarkets and motorway services. DfT changed its headline measure in 2025 to count every charger that can be used at the same time; the earlier, lower count of charging devices is shown for comparison and continues to be published. About a fifth of public chargers are rapid chargers of 50kW or more. Home chargers are not included.

Source: DfT, electric vehicle charging infrastructure statistics, tables EVCI0101, EVCI0102 and EVCI9001; expectation from Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy.

What it means: how much slower traffic moves than it would on empty roads, as average seconds lost for each mile driven on England's local A roads, which carry most local journeys. Over a 10-mile trip, 45 seconds a mile adds about 7½ minutes. The chart is a rolling 12-month average to smooth out seasons. A change of one second or more counts as a change in status.

Source: DfT, average delay on local 'A' roads, table CGN0504a, from in-vehicle GPS data.

What it means: councils survey their roads each year and report the share in poor enough condition that maintenance should be considered, a measure of cracking, rutting and potholes. Unclassified roads are the residential and side streets that make up most of the network. Motorways and major trunk roads are run by National Highways and are not included. Survey methods differ between councils, so local comparisons are a guide. A change of one point or more counts.

Source: DfT, road condition statistics, tables RDC0120 and RDC0130.

What it means: the length of the road network each year. New roads add only a few miles a year now; much recent motorway work has widened existing roads or turned the hard shoulder into a running lane, which adds capacity but not length. Minor roads grow as housing estates are built. Changes in how roads are measured, most recently in 2022, mean small year-to-year changes are not all new building. Shown for context.

Source: DfT, road length statistics, table RDL0103.

Target: cut deaths and serious injuries by — by — from the 2022 to 2024 average of —, to —. The straight path needed — by now.

What it means: casualties on Great Britain's roads reported to the police. Serious injuries are adjusted for a change in how police record them, so years are comparable. The target was set in the Road Safety Strategy of January 2026. A falling line is good.

Source: DfT, reported road casualties Great Britain, table RAS0102 (adjusted); target from the Road Safety Strategy.

What it means: all road casualties reported to the police in Great Britain, divided by the total distance driven by motor vehicles that year. It shows how risky each kilometre of travel is, separately from how much people drive. In — the rate was —. Figures cover casualties reported to the police only; many minor injuries are never reported. A change of 5% or more on the year before counts.

Source: DfT, reported road casualties Great Britain, table RAS0101 (casualties and traffic), converted from miles to kilometres.

What it means: all the energy used in the UK, not just electricity: petrol, diesel and jet fuel for transport, gas for heating and power stations, and the fuels used to make electricity, — TWh in total in the latest year. Each fuel is counted by the energy it contains before it is used, so nuclear power, which wastes about two thirds of its heat, looks larger than the electricity it produces, while wind and solar are counted as the electricity they generate. Oil, mostly for transport, has been the largest fuel since 2023, when it overtook gas. Total energy use has fallen since the mid-2000s as industry has shrunk and buildings, cars and appliances have become more efficient. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, Energy Trends, table 1.2 (inland energy consumption, primary fuel input basis, not temperature adjusted), converted from million tonnes of oil equivalent to TWh.

Pledge: clean sources make — of Great Britain's electricity by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: low-carbon means renewables plus nuclear. The figure is for the whole UK and the latest year is provisional, while the target is for Great Britain in a typical weather year, so treat the gap as a guide.

Source: DESNZ, Energy Trends table 5.1; target from the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

What it means: how much oil, gas and coal is produced in the UK, mostly from the North Sea, measured by energy content. North Sea output peaked around 1999, when the UK produced more energy than it used. Deep coal mining ended in 2015 and the last coal power station closed in 2024. The import share is worked out here from the same table (imports minus exports as a share of energy used) and may differ slightly from DESNZ’s published import dependency figure. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, Digest of UK Energy Statistics, table 1.1.2.

What it means: the average bill for a home using a typical amount of energy (2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas a year), in cash terms. Bills nearly doubled after wholesale gas prices rose in 2021 and 2022; government support schemes, which paid part of bills directly, are not deducted here. Prepayment and standard credit customers pay different amounts. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, annual domestic energy bills, tables 2.2.1 and 2.3.1.

What it means: meters that send readings automatically and show usage in pounds and pence. A smart meter that has lost its connection, often after a change of supplier, works only as an ordinary meter, so the working figure matters as much as the total. Figures cover meters run by large suppliers, which supply most homes. A change of 2 points or more over a year counts.

Source: DESNZ, smart meters in Great Britain, quarterly update June 2026, table 2.

What it means: average pump prices across the UK each month, worked out from weekly surveys of fuel retailers. Prices include fuel duty and VAT, which together make up more than half the price of a litre of petrol. Prices are not adjusted for inflation. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, weekly road fuel prices.

What it means: the typical price of kerosene heating oil, used by around 1.5 million homes that are not on the gas grid, mostly in rural areas and Northern Ireland. Unlike gas and electricity it has no price cap, so it follows world oil prices closely. Prices include 5% VAT and are not adjusted for inflation. Shown for context.

Source: DESNZ, monthly and annual prices of road fuels and petroleum products, table 4.1.1 (standard grade burning oil).

Commitment: — by —, which is — below 1990. Starting from — in —, when the target was set, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: this is the UK's international climate pledge for 2030, on the way to net zero by 2050. A falling line is good. Most of the cut since 1990 has come from cleaner electricity; transport emissions have barely moved.

Source: DESNZ, UK greenhouse gas emissions, territorial basis; the latest year is provisional.

What it means: the average air temperature across the whole UK over the year, day and night, worked out from the Met Office’s network of weather stations. One year can be warm or cool by chance; the long rise is what matters. The year also had — hours of sunshine and — days of air frost. Shown for context.

Source: Met Office, UK and regional series (HadUK-Grid).

What it means: total rain and melted snow over the year, averaged across the UK. It varies a lot from year to year and from place to place: the west and the hills get far more than the east. Climate projections point to wetter winters and drier summers, which matters for floods, reservoirs and farming. See the reservoir levels card for water supplies. Shown for context.

Source: Met Office, UK and regional series (HadUK-Grid).

What it means: the average temperature at the surface of all the world’s oceans, from ships and buoys, compared with 1961 to 1990. The oceans absorb most of the extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases. A regular UK-only series is not published as open data; the seas around the UK have warmed faster than the global average, with a marine heatwave in June 2023. Shown for context.

Source: Met Office Hadley Centre, HadSST.4, annual global series.

What it means: the average height of the sea over each year, measured at Newlyn since 1915, where the UK’s official height datum was set. Single years go up and down with winds and air pressure, so the long trend matters more. Seas rise as the oceans warm and expand and as ice on land melts; in the south of England the land is also sinking slightly. Gaps are years with too few readings. Shown for context.

Source: Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, Newlyn (National Oceanography Centre), annual revised local reference data.

Legal target: cut exposure by — from — by —, and by — by —. The straight path needed — by now.

What it means: PM2.5 are tiny particles from burning fuel and wood, vehicle brakes and tyres, and farming. They are the air pollutant most harmful to health. The measure averages concentrations across England, weighted by where people live. A falling line is good.

Source: Defra, air quality statistics: PM2.5 targets; Environment Act targets set in 2023.

What it means: nitrogen dioxide comes mostly from vehicle exhausts, especially diesel, and irritates the lungs. The figure is the average across the UK’s roadside monitoring sites; individual busy roads can be much higher. The legal limit is an annual average of 40 at any site; the World Health Organization guideline is 10. Separately, the UK must cut its total emissions of nitrogen oxides by 73% from 2005 levels by 2030. A change of 1 or more counts.

Source: Defra, air quality statistics: nitrogen dioxide.

Target (Environment Act): halt the decline so that species abundance in 2030 is higher than in 2022 (— on this index), then by 2042 at least 10% higher than in 2030. Below the 2022 line counts as off track.

What it means: an average of population trends for over a thousand species of birds, butterflies, moths, bats, mammals, bees, plants and others with good long-term records. On average, these species are roughly 40% less abundant than in 1970. Defra calls this an official statistic in development, so the method may change, and the latest years are the least certain.

Source: Defra, indicators of species abundance in England (May 2026), worksheets 1 and 4; target from the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025.

Commitment: protect — of land for nature by — (30 by 30). Starting from — in —, the straight path needs — by now.

What it means: the UK committed in 2020 to protect 30% of its land and sea for nature by 2030. This card shows England’s land in Sites of Special Scientific Interest and other nationally and internationally designated wildlife sites, the official measure published so far. National Parks and National Landscapes do not count on their own. The government has set criteria for other land that could count, but has not yet published a figure for it, so the true share may turn out higher once it does. The UK and sea figures are separate.

Source: Defra, England biodiversity indicator 1: protected areas; 30by30 on land in England: criteria.

Target: raise tree and woodland cover by two percentage points of England’s land between 2022 and 2050, from 14.5% to 16.5%. On this chart that means woodland reaching — by 2050. The straight path needs — by now.

What it means: the Environment Act target counts all tree canopy, including trees in hedges, fields and streets, which is why it starts at 14.5%. Canopy outside woods is only measured occasionally, so this card tracks woodland, which is counted every year and makes up most of the change. The interim aim is to add 0.26 points of cover by January 2028. Woodland figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000 hectares, so small changes take time to show.

Source: Forest Research, provisional woodland statistics 2026; target from the Environmental Targets (Woodland and Tree Cover) Regulations 2023.

Legal target: no more than — per person by —, on the way to — by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: residual waste is what ends up in landfill or incinerators instead of being reused, recycled or composted. Heavy mineral waste such as soil and rubble is left out. A falling line is good.

Source: Defra, estimates of residual waste in England; Environment Act targets set in 2023.

Target: recycle — of municipal waste by 2035 (Circular Economy Package, 2020). Starting from — in —, the straight path needs — by now.

What it means: waste collected from homes by councils, including bins, recycling boxes and tips. The 65% target covers all municipal waste, which also includes similar waste from businesses, so this household figure is the closest regular measure rather than an exact match. New rules from 2026 require the same core recycling collections across England and food waste collections for every home.

Source: Defra, local authority collected waste management 2024-25, table 3a; target from the Circular Economy Package.

Target: no more than — of municipal waste sent to landfill by 2035 (Circular Economy Package, 2020). At or below the line counts as on track.

What it means: most waste that is not recycled is now burned to generate electricity rather than buried, after a landfill tax that rose steeply from the late 1990s. The target covers all municipal waste, including similar waste from businesses; the figure here covers what councils collect, the closest regular measure. Burning waste has its own environmental costs, so less landfill is not the same as less waste.

Source: Defra, local authority collected waste management 2024-25, table 3b; target from the Circular Economy Package.

Target: cut the public water supply used per person by 20% by 2037-38, to — litres a day. Starting from — in 2019-20, the straight path needs — by now. Interim target: — by March 2027.

What it means: all the water that companies put into their pipes, divided by the number of people served. It covers homes, businesses and the water lost to leaks, so fixing leaks counts towards the target as well as using less. Water used at home alone is about 137 litres per person per day.

Source: Environment Agency, water resources 2025 to 2026, table 2; target from the water demand Environment Act target delivery plan.

Target: cut leakage by 20% from 2017-18 levels by March 2027, to — million litres a day, then 30% by 2032. Water companies have also committed to halve it by 2050. Starting from —, the straight path needs — by now.

What it means: water lost from companies’ mains and from customers’ supply pipes before it is used, about a fifth of all water put into supply. The years between 2017-18 and 2023-24 are not shown here because they were not in the reports used. The Environment Agency said leakage did not fall in 2025-26 despite company forecasts that it would.

Source: Environment Agency, water resources 2025 to 2026 and the 2023-24 and 2024-25 editions; targets from the water demand Environment Act target delivery plan.

What it means: how full England’s main reservoirs were at the end of each month, as reported by the Environment Agency. Levels normally fall through summer and recover in winter, so compare a month with the same month in other years. At the end of September 2026 storage was about 19 points below the long-term average for the time of year, after a dry summer. Reservoirs are only part of supply: much of south and east England relies on groundwater. A change of five points or more on a year earlier counts.

Source: Environment Agency, national water situation reports, monthly summaries.

Target: halve spills from storm overflows by 2030, from the 2024 average of — per overflow to — (Environmental Improvement Plan 2025). The straight path needs — by now. Spills rise and fall with rainfall, so one dry year can put the figure ahead of the path.

What it means: storm overflows release diluted sewage into rivers and the sea when sewers are overwhelmed, usually after heavy rain. The figure is the average number of spills recorded per monitored overflow. It swings with rainfall: 2025 was unusually dry after a wet 2024. A change of two spills or more counts.

Source: Environment Agency, storm overflow event duration monitoring, annual releases for 2023 to 2025 (2021 not published in the same form).

What it means: the Environment Agency tests designated beaches, lakes and river spots for bacteria from sewage and farm run-off through the summer, and rates each one. More river sites have been designated in recent years and these tend to score lower, which partly explains the recent fall. More widely, only 14% of England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters were in good ecological health in the 2025 assessment, which the Environment Agency says cannot be compared directly with the 16% in 2019. No ratings were made in 2020. A change of 2 points or more counts.

Source: Defra, Environmental Indicator Framework, theme B (water), indicator B4; Environment Agency classifications, 2025.

What it means: incidents serious enough to harm wildlife, drinking water or people’s use of the water, from any source: water companies, farms, industry and others. Many incidents are reported by the polluters themselves, so changes in reporting affect the figures. Routine sewage spills from storm overflows are counted separately on the sewage spills card. A change of 5% or more counts.

Source: Defra, Environmental Indicator Framework, theme B (water), indicator B2.

Target: — of premises by —. Starting from — in —, before the deadline was moved from 2030 to 2032, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: premises where a broadband connection of at least 1,000 Mbit/s is available, through full fibre, upgraded cable or similar. Being able to get it is not the same as using it: many households stay on slower, cheaper packages. The figures are Ofcom’s, as quoted in the government’s Project Gigabit updates, so there are only a few points so far.

Source: DSIT, Project Gigabit progress updates (Ofcom coverage data).

What it means: spending through websites and apps, by stores and online-only retailers, as a share of all retail sales, including food. It doubled during the Covid lockdowns and settled at a higher level than before. Takeaways, travel and other services are not part of retail sales. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, retail sales index, series J4MC.

What it means: from the ONS time use survey, in which adults record what they are mainly doing through one day. It counts browsing, email, social media, games and other use of computers, phones and tablets when that is the main thing someone is doing, outside paid work. Streaming television and films is counted as watching TV instead, and checking a phone while doing something else is not counted, so this is much lower than measures of total screen time. The figures are for all adults, including those who did none on the day. The survey has been run once or twice a year since the first Covid lockdown in —. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, time use in the UK, March 2026 (Online Time Use Survey), tables 1 to 3.

Adults who used AI in the past 12 months, by age

Where adults have used AI

What it means: adults who say they have knowingly used AI, such as chatbots, writing tools or AI features in apps, in the past year. Many people use AI without realising, so this is likely to undercount. For businesses, “using AI” means at least one AI technology in any part of the business; most users apply it to a few tasks rather than across their work, which is why the share using it extensively is a better guide to how much it is used. The most common business uses are text tools based on large language models and image creation. The business figures are rounded as ONS published them. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, public opinions and social trends: AI (June 2026), table 3; ONS, artificial intelligence in UK businesses, 2023 to 2026.

Digital sector jobs by subsector, 2025

What it means: jobs in industries that make or provide digital products and services, from software and IT consultancy to telecoms, publishing, film and TV, including the self-employed. People in digital roles in other industries, such as a bank’s software developers, are not counted. DSIT’s current method starts in 2024, so only two years can be compared. Shown for context.

Source: DSIT, economic estimates: employment in the digital sector, 2025, table 3a.

What it means: any breach or attempted attack the organisation identified, from phishing emails, the most common by far, to hacking and ransomware. Larger businesses report far more, partly because they are better at spotting attacks. The figures depend on what organisations notice and remember, so they are a guide to how widespread attacks are rather than a count. Shown for context.

Source: DSIT, cyber security breaches survey 2025 to 2026.

Who carries out R&D, 2024

What it means: all research and development carried out in the UK by businesses, universities, government and charities, whoever pays for it, in cash terms. ONS revised its method in 2022, so only 2022 onwards is shown. A previous government aimed for 2.4% of GDP by 2027, a level now exceeded; the current government has set budgets for public R&D rather than a share of GDP, so no target is shown.

Source: ONS, gross domestic expenditure on research and development, 2024, tables 1 and 5.

What it means: pupils entered for computing (computer science) exams each summer, a measure of the pipeline of young people with technical skills. Figures are provisional entries, published before exams are sat, so they differ slightly from final results. Only computing is counted; other digital qualifications such as IT and vocational courses are not. Shown for context.

Source: Ofqual, provisional entries for GCSE, AS and A level, summer 2026, tables 1 and 4.

Target: — of GDP by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needs — by the latest year shown.

What it means: spending on the armed forces, equipment, military pensions and some related costs, as defined by NATO, as a share of national income. The government's February 2025 plan is 2.5% by April 2027 (2.6% counting intelligence services), and 3% in the next parliament. The latest published figure is for 2024, before the target was set, so the status shows Too early until newer figures appear.

Source: Ministry of Defence, international defence expenditure 2025, tables 2 and 6 (NATO data).

What it means: regular and full-time reserve personnel who have finished their training and can be deployed: Army —, Royal Navy and Royal Marines —, and Royal Air Force —. The line is the number the MOD said it needed; at —, the last time it was published, the forces were — short of it. The total is higher if people still in training and the volunteer reserves are counted.

Source: Ministry of Defence, quarterly service personnel statistics, table 3a.

Target: reduce aid to — of national income by —. Starting from — in —, the straight path needed — by now.

What it means: official development assistance as a share of gross national income. The UK met the UN level of 0.7% every year from 2013 to 2020 (it became law in 2015). It was cut to 0.5% from 2021, and in February 2025 the government set a target of 0.3% by 2027 to help pay for higher defence spending. Here, on track means moving down towards that lower level.

Source: FCDO, statistics on international development: provisional UK aid spend 2025, figure 1.

What it means: the total fertility rate: how many children a woman would have on average if this year’s birth rates at each age stayed the same throughout her life. A rate of about 2.1 keeps a population the same size without migration. Rates have fallen in most rich countries as people have children later and have fewer of them. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, births in England and Wales, 2025 registrations, tables 1 and 10.

What it means: average ages adjusted so that changes in the number of women of each age do not distort the trend. Mothers were youngest in the mid-1970s; since then, more time in education, the cost of housing and later marriage have pushed parenthood later. Fathers’ ages are only counted where the father is named on the birth registration. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, births in England and Wales, 2025 registrations, table 11.

Dependent children per family with children

What it means: a household is one person living alone, or a group of people living at the same address who share cooking facilities or a living room. There were — million UK households in —, and — were one person living alone in —. The — million families with dependent children (under 16, or 16 to 18 and in full-time education) have — children on average, against — in —, and — have three or more. These are estimates from the Labour Force Survey, which has had falling response rates since 2020, so small changes between years may not be real. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, families and households in the UK, 2025, tables 3, 4 and 5.

Divorces per 1,000 married people

Number of divorces since 1950

What it means: the rate is the number of people divorcing in a year for every 1,000 married men and women, for opposite-sex couples; same-sex marriage began in 2014 and has its own, much smaller, figures. The number of divorces peaked at — in —. Typical marriage length is the median: half of the marriages ending that year had lasted longer. No-fault divorce began in England and Wales on 6 April 2022, which also changed how divorces are applied for and granted; the number fell sharply in 2022, the first year under the new law, so the years either side are hard to compare. Shown for context.

Source: ONS, divorces and dissolutions in England and Wales, 2024 and 2025, tables 1, 6 and 8.

What it means: conceptions are pregnancies that led to a birth or a legal abortion; miscarriages are not counted, and the year is when the pregnancy began. The under-18 rate is per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17 and the under-16 rate (fainter line, — in —) is per 1,000 aged 13 to 15. There were — conceptions to under-18s in —, against — in —, and — ended in abortion. The rate has changed by — since —. Figures come out about two and a half years after the year they cover. A change of 5% or more on the year before counts.

Source: ONS, conceptions in England and Wales, 2023 tables 1 and 4, and 2021 table 1a for years before 2010.

What it means: people moving to the UK for at least a year, minus people leaving for at least a year, counted over twelve months. The most recent figures are provisional and are usually revised. The current government has not set a numeric target, so no rating is given.

Source: ONS, long-term international migration, table 1, May 2026 release.

What it means: people detected crossing the English Channel in small boats. Crossings swing with the weather and seasons, so the chart shows a rolling 12-month total. No numeric target has been set, so no rating is given.

Source: Home Office, small boat arrivals, daily time series to 30 October 2026.