The 27th annual British Social Attitudes report was published, examining what people in Britain thought about contemporary social issues and debates. Topics covered included: inequality, social mobility, education, the National Health Service, employment, union with Scotland, and age.
Source: Alison Park and Elizabeth Clery (eds.), British Social Attitudes: The 27th Report, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary | NatCen press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An annual report on household expenditure said that in 2009 average weekly household spending was £455, compared with £471 in 2008 – the first drop within the previous 10 years. Food prices were on average 5 per cent higher in 2009 than in 2008, with the result that households spent 3.6 per cent more on food and drink: but in 2009 food was less of a burden on low-income households than in 2008, with expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks dropping from 16.8 per cent to 15.8 per cent of total expenditure for the lowest income quintile households.
Source: Giles Horsfield, Family Spending: A report on the 2009 Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release | Defra press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Nov
A report summarized the findings of wave 4 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, based on data collected in 2008-09. The study examined the social and economic conditions, health, and well-being of people in England aged 50 and over.
Source: James Banks et al. (eds.), Financial Circumstances, Health and Well-Being of the Older Population in England: The 2008 English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Wave 4), Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Report | Summary | UCL press release
Date: 2010-Oct
The 2010 edition was published of Social Trends, an official compilation of government statistics on social issues.
Source: Matthew Hughes (ed.), Social Trends 40: 2010 edition, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release (1) | ONS press release (2 – environment) | ONS press release (3 – social security) | Telegraph report (1) | Telegraph report (2) | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3)
Date: 2010-Jul
The 26th British Social Attitudes report was published. It described the state of public attitudes towards voting; spending and redistribution under New Labour; religious faith; non-traditional family patterns; longer working lives; lone parents and benefits; and legal reforms relating to smoking, drinking, and drugs.
Source: Alison Park et al (eds.), British Social Attitudes: The 26th Report, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary | NatCen press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2010-Jan
The annual official report was published on trends in household expenditure, based on the 2008 survey.
Source: Rachel Skentelbery (ed.), Family Spending: A report on the 2008 Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release
Date: 2010-Jan