The use and misuse of regional data: perspectives, challenges and policy implications from across the UK

This paper investigates the challenges faced when producing regional statistics for policy analysis and using regional data in policy debates. We consider the UK, where devolution, Brexit and ‘levelling up’ have placed a spotlight on regional data. However, the issues explored are of international relevance. Drawing on perspectives from analysts in UK government departments and the devolved administrations, we analyse: the difficulties constructing regional statistics; the trade-offs between granularity, timeliness, comparability and different user needs; and how regional data can support policymaking. Levelling up, we argue, has spurred regional data improvements, but the resulting emphasis on directly comparable UK-wide data also poses risks.