The UK’s changing population
The UK’s population is growing and is projected to reach 70 million in 2026. The population is also ageing, and these factors will strain public services.
On this page
- Briefings on the topics that matter skip to link
- Social policy skip to link
- The economy and finance skip to link
- Home affairs skip to link
- Environment and technology skip to link
- The UK’s global position skip to link
- Supporting the work of MPs skip to link
- Full download skip to link
- A summary in British Sign Language skip to link
Briefings on the topics that matter
‘Research in brief’ is our first publication of the 2024 Parliament: a series of explainers, ‘in brief’, of some of the concepts, policy areas and issues that this Parliament is likely to face.
These articles were written by some of the around 100 subject specialists at the Commons Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), who ensure MPs and their staff have access to impartial, reliable, timely and accurate information on important issues so they can effectively scrutinise legislation, prepare for debates and support their constituents.
This page lists links to each of the articles in the publication, and includes a PDF version of the publication for download at the bottom of the page. Each article also links to more in-depth briefings on the Library and POST website, should you wish to learn more about a topic.
You can read more about how the Library and POST support the work of Parliament on the Library’s About us page and on the POST website.
Social policy
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Affordable housing in England
The proportion of affordable housing in England has fallen. Increasing supply is challenging due to funding issues, increasing costs, and the planning system.
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Capacity pressures in health and social care in England
Record demand, an ageing population and inflation are all squeezing health and social care. Hospital waiting lists and discharge delays are affecting patients.
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Higher education funding: Trends and challenges
Frozen domestic fee caps and inflation threaten the financial stability of higher education, with the number of universities in deficit expected to increase following new visa restrictions on international students.
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Ofsted school inspection in England
Concerns over Ofsted inspections have been raised due to the consequences of grading a school as ‘inadequate’. Single word judgements have come under scrutiny.
The economy and finance
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Low growth: The economy's biggest challenge
Growth has been slow since 2008. Low investment and policy uncertainty have slowed growth in productivity and so living standards have increased only modestly.
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How have living standards changed since 2020?
Household incomes have fallen since 2020. While steps have been taken to protect low-income households, more people are experiencing food and energy insecurity.
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Access to banking services and cash
Branch closures and cases of ‘de-banking’ have put the spotlight on access to banking. MPs often receive casework from the people and organisations it affects.
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Atypical workers in the gig economy
Employment status affects eligibility for employment rights. However, atypical working has made it difficult to understand what these workers are entitled to.
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Why are local authorities going 'bankrupt'?
Increasing financial pressures, rising populations, higher demand on social care and lower council incomes are putting local authorities under pressure.
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How does Parliament scrutinise tax and spending?
Parliament scrutinises how the government raises and spends money with the Spending Review; the Budget and associated Finance Bill; and the Estimates process.
Home affairs
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Will record net migration continue?
Students, care workers and humanitarian visa schemes have contributed to record net migration. Immigration may fall in 2024 with no further policy changes.
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Policing and protests
Parliament has introduced new offences to manage protests. This approach has come under scrutiny due to protests about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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Will prisons run out of space?
Prison populations in England and Wales are projected overtake prison capacity. Progress to increase capacity has been slow, and other solutions may be needed.
Environment and technology
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Electric vehicles
The transition to electric vehicles is a key part of plans to achieve net zero in the UK. However, there are still significant barriers to the transition.
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Are we on target for the environment?
Priority areas of air quality, biodiversity, resources and waste, and water have targets to improve the environment. However, many are considered “off-track”.
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What is net zero?
The government has made a legal commitment to reach net zero by 2050. This will be achieved by reducing emissions and removing carbon from the atmosphere.
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The UK energy system
UK energy prices rose from 2022. Prices have since fallen, but they remain relatively high, and this will likely be a high-priority for the new Parliament.
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AI in society
AI could add trillions of dollars a year to the global economy and increase labour productivity. But experts warn that bias and misinformation may spread.
The UK’s global position
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The UK in a volatile world
Global uncertainty poses questions about the international order, democracy, key international relationships, and the UK’s readiness for conflict.
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NATO's Washington summit
The NATO summit in July 2024, the first for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, focused on Ukraine's path to membership and challenges posed by Russia and China.
Supporting the work of MPs
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What is devolution?
The power to make laws in certain policy areas has been transferred from Parliament to legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through devolution.
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Disinformation and its effects on society
Disinformation and misinformation is usually created to influence people and can be spread on social media. Assessing information is a key part of an MP’s role.
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The legislative process and Library briefings on bills
As bills pass through the various stages of Parliament, the Library publishes briefings as at second reading, committee stage, ping pong, and Royal Assent.
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Headline statistics for your constituency
Use our interactive dashboard to explore data for parliamentary constituencies, covering topics such as demographics, unemployment, and child poverty.
Full download
A summary in British Sign Language
A video summary of the publication in British Sign Language and text subtitles.