Nudging for Prosperity: The UK Nudge Unit Leading Global Policy Innovation

The renowned UK ‘Nudge Unit’, formally known as the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), has over time earned the admiration of other governments after saving UK taxpayers millions of pounds.

Within two years of its establishment, the Nudge Unit identified public savings of over £300 million by leveraging behavioural change principles and choice architecture to enhance public services and decision-making processes. Its cost-effective techniques caught the attention of governments and organizations globally, paving the way for international partnerships and collaborations.

Here are some remarkable achievements of the 'Nudge Unit' within the UK:

• Boosted tax increase payment rates by 15 percentage points by informing late taxpayers that most people in their town had already paid, resulting in an additional £30 million of revenue annually.

• Generated £30 million in annual savings and reduced bailiff interventions by at least 150,000 for the UK Courts Service by using personalized nudges to increase fine payments without further interventions.

• Spread understanding of behavioural insights across government.

• Achieved an at least 10-fold return on the cost of the team.

Today, the team has expanded its impact beyond borders, establishing partnerships with governments and prominent organisations across continents.

It's truly marvellous how much we can achieve when our thinking and policies place people first!