Fuel and travel costs are pushing prices up again
Thursday 5 November 2026
Inflation has risen to 3.1%, meaning everyday spending is getting more expensive just as household budgets are already under pressure.
Top 1% wealth share
The share of all measured wealth owned by the wealthiest one in every hundred people or households.
What it means
Rank people or households by net worth and take the wealthiest 1%. Add up their wealth, then divide it by the total wealth of everyone counted. This gives the top 1% wealth share. It is a share of wealth, not the share of people who are wealthy. Check whether the figure covers individuals or households and what assets are included. Surveys can miss some very wealthy households and some hard-to-measure assets, which matters especially for this measure.
Example
Imagine 100 households with £10 million in combined net worth. If the wealthiest one has £2 million, the top 1% wealth share in this made-up group is 20% (£2 million out of £10 million).
Why it matters
It shows how much wealth is held right at the top. Reading it beside the median or other parts of the ranking gives a fuller picture.
Related terms
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Net worth
The value of what someone owns, minus what they owe.
Read more -
Wealth concentration
How much of a group's total wealth is held by a small number of its people or households.
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Wealth inequality
The gap between people in what they own, after subtracting what they owe.
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Wealth percentile
A point on a wealth ranking divided into hundredths, showing how someone's wealth compares with others'.
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Wealth tax
A proposed or existing tax on the value of wealth someone owns, often after subtracting debts.
Read more
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Highlights from about the UK economy, the UK government and the UK public sector.
Mortgage relief will have to wait a little longer
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Interest rates are staying at 3.75%, so households with mortgages and other borrowing may have to wait longer for costs to come down.
Energy bills are going up as winter approaches
Wednesday 4 November 2026
A higher energy price cap means many households will be paying more to heat and power their homes during the colder months.
Guides and insights
Analysis
Clear, accessible analysis of the economic issues shaping everyday life
Living standards
What does a day’s work buy?
Comparing the cost of everyday life across generations, from bread and beer to buying a home.
Food & prices
The journey behind your grocery bill
How farming, energy, transport and supermarket competition shape the price on the shelf.
Prices & inflation
Inflation is falling. What happens next?
What slower price rises mean for wages, purchasing power and economic recovery.
Shared prosperity
What would shared prosperity look like?
Beyond GDP: how we could measure economic success through security, opportunity and living standards.
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