More or Less The Stats of the Nation: Older people, education, prisons and the weather
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Jan 8, 2026 
Heidi Karjalainen, a senior research economist, reveals that nearly 22% of pensioners in the UK are millionaires, while also highlighting the ongoing challenges of pensioner poverty. John Jerrim shares insights on education, explaining how England has improved in PISA rankings, raising questions about methodological fairness. Cassia Rowland addresses the looming crisis in UK prisons, detailing overcrowding and emergency policies. Meanwhile, Friederike Otto discusses the realities of climate change, showing how UK weather patterns are becoming increasingly erratic.
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Millionaire Pensioners Explained
- About 22% of UK people over 65 live in households with more than £1 million of measured wealth.
- That statistic counts household wealth including pensions and housing, so it can overstate individual liquid wealth.
Pension And Housing Inflate Wealth Measures
- UK wealth measures include pension and housing wealth, the two largest components for many pensioners.
- Large housing or defined‑benefit pension wealth can make people appear wealthy despite modest incomes.
Pensioner Poverty Has Fallen Sharply
- Relative pensioner poverty (income below 60% of median) fell to about 16% in 2023.
- This is a marked improvement from roughly 40% in the early 1990s.