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Pensions, climate & debt: Three big threats to UK public finances

Pensions, climate & debt: Three big threats to UK public finances

Update: 2025-07-24
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Is the UK heading for a fiscal crisis? Or can policymakers still steer the public finances back to a sustainable path?


The Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report warns that, without action, UK government debt could climb above 270% of GDP by the 2070s - driven by rising borrowing, an ageing population, and the fiscal impacts of climate change.


In this episode of IFS Zooms In, Helen Miller (Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies) is joined by Richard Hughes (Chair, OBR) and Ben Zaranko (Associate Director, IFS) to explore the forces shaping the long-term outlook for the public finances, the 50 risks highlighted by the OBR, and what can be done now to avoid a crisis later.


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Pensions, climate & debt: Three big threats to UK public finances

Pensions, climate & debt: Three big threats to UK public finances