Across the world, fertility rates are falling and populations are ageing. What was once seen as a problem limited to a handful of wealthy nations has now become a global demographic shift, affecting countries as diverse as Japan, China, Italy, the United States, and increasingly the United Kingdom.
The numbers are in, and they paint a picture that defies the conventional wisdom of Washington's trade hawks. In 2025, China's trade surplus surged to a record high of US$1.2 trillion (£900 billion).
The dollar isn't just America's currency. It is the plumbing of global trade—the world’s settlement mechanism, safe haven, and store of value.
Sky's economics and data editor Ed Conway investigates the crisis facing the chemical sector in the United Kingdom. In this special report he visits chemical plants across the country critical to our food security, defence sector and pharmaceuticals - an industry disappearing in plain sight..
Once the world's most populous nation, China is now among the many Asian countries struggling with anemic fertility rates. In an attempt to double the country's rate of 1.0 children per woman, Beijing is reaching for a new tool: taxes on condoms, birth control pills and other contraceptives.
If one wished to understand modern politics, one could do worse than stop reading manifestos altogether and instead binge-watch The Traitors. The similarities are uncanny, though the television version has the advantage of being honest about what it is - a game where deception is expected, paranoia is rewarded, and confidence is inversely proportional to competence.
Since 2021, millions of people in the UK have experienced a quiet but profound shift in their finances. They are earning more on paper, yet feeling poorer in reality.
The government is launching CustomerFirst, a new unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to modernise public services and improve the experience for millions of people who rely on them. Faster response times and more efficient service for the millions of people who use government services Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson to co‑chair new CustomerFirst unit.
AI is happening. We are not going to stop it, and we shouldn't pretend we can.
In recent years, a striking shift has taken place in the language used by central banks. Institutions once focused narrowly on inflation and interest rates are now speaking openly about politics, social change and long-term structural forces.
After half a decade of economic shocks — from the pandemic to inflation, energy crises and rising taxes — many people in the UK are asking a simple question: will life finally get better in 2026? The short answer, according to most credible forecasts, is not by much. While the worst pressures may be easing, the forces holding down living standards remain firmly in place.
In a move that marks a significant shift in North American trade policy, Canada has agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). This is signalling both a strategic recalibration of its trade relationships and a broader attempt to navigate the increasingly complex global economic landscape.
Three former directors of Ethical Forestry Limited plead guilty following a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into a £70 million investment scheme fraud. Matthew Pickard, 56, Stephen Greenaway, 47, and Paul Laver, 47 from Bournemouth have been convicted at Southwark Crown Court today of fraudulent trading, ahead of an expected trial next month.
The decline of Britain's high streets is not just a matter of statistics. It is a story written in shuttered shopfronts, fading signage, and the memories of communities who once relied on these spaces for daily life.
The Deputy Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Justice to learn from Ukraine's expertise, to harness their wartime innovation and tackle prison drones. UK to learn from Ukrainian tech expertise to crush drone smuggling behind bars.
There have been reports of companies offering tours around Scotland who have taken bookings but then fail to turn up at the agreed location, leaving visitors stranded. One group of people booked a walking tour in Edinburgh, paying a total of almost £300.
I've been writing about rising mortgage rates for some time now. During that time, mortgage interest has become an increasingly big deal.
Government's reset, this time last year, has put the plan to upgrade and build new hospitals on a more stable, long-term footing - the final hospitals are now expected to be completed in 2045-46. Despite being prioritised under the new plan, replacements for seven hospitals built predominantly from RAAC are not expected to open until 2032-33, after the original recommended 2030 deadline.
The UK and Ukraine mark the first anniversary of the historic 100 Year Partnership with new initiatives driving security and prosperity in both countries. UK and Ukraine mark first anniversary of the historic 100 Year Partnership with new initiatives driving security and prosperity in both countries. £20 million of new support announced for vital energy infrastructure repairs in Ukraine as Russia's barbaric attacks on innocent civilians intensify.
There is a real risk of a shortage of experienced workers in the UK to build all the planned new offshore and onshore wind farms, and it's already shaping industry discussions and government planning. Current Workforce Growth - But Big Gaps Remain.
