The Productivity Picture: London and the South

This report outlines the key productivity challenges and opportunities facing London, the South East and the South West, with a primary focus on how five critical themes – net zero, housing and infrastructure, health and wellbeing, skills, and digitalisation and AI – impact each region’s ability to become more productive, sustainable and inclusive. It explores how these themes are impacting the three regions and identifies some of the major strategic responses and initiatives driving their future path of economic development and social progress.

The report is organised into three sections:

1. An overarching analysis of productivity in the three regions compared to the national average;
2. A review of ongoing regional initiatives aimed at enhancing productivity;
3. An exploration of key productivity drivers that affect all three regions and a listing of priority actions for policy and practice.

The paper draws on publicly accessible strategic and economic planning resources from Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Innovation Hubs, Combined Authorities, and other relevant Local Authority publications, as well as insights from members of the London and South Four. Additionally, data sourced from the ONS and NOMIS has informed this analysis.

The primary aim of this document is to support discussions and planning efforts within the Regional Productivity Forum (RPF) and to foster broader conversations with relevant and affected stakeholders, rather than to provide an exhaustive data analysis.

Authors Britt Regal, Damian Grimshaw