Oxford Economics is a global economic forecasting and research firm headquartered in Oxford, England, and one of the world's foremost independent advisory firms on economics. Founded in 1981 as a commercial venture with Oxford University's business college, the company provides economic reports, forecasts and analytical tools covering more than 200 countries, 100 industries and 8,000 cities and regions. It employs around 700 staff — including more than 450 professional economists, industry experts and business editors — and its analysis features regularly in business and financial news worldwide. Its client base comprises thousands of international organisations, from multinational companies and financial institutions to governments, trade associations and universities.
Founding and Early History
Oxford Economics was founded in 1981 as a commercial venture with Oxford University's business college, created to provide economic forecasting and modelling to UK companies and financial institutions — particularly those expanding abroad. The Oxford connection gave the young firm academic credibility and access to econometric expertise, while its commercial structure allowed it to serve paying clients in industry and finance rather than operating as a purely academic institution.
From that base, the company grew steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, building the global macroeconomic models that remain its core intellectual asset. As globalisation increased corporate demand for country and industry forecasting, Oxford Economics expanded its coverage and its client list, evolving from a British forecasting boutique into an international advisory firm.
Global Scale and People
Today Oxford Economics describes itself as one of the world's foremost independent global advisory firms. It employs 700 staff, including more than 450 professional economists, industry experts and business editors — which it presents as one of the largest teams of macroeconomists and thought-leadership specialists anywhere. Underpinning the in-house expertise is a contributor network of over 500 economists, analysts and journalists around the world.
The firm is headquartered in Oxford, England, with regional centres in London, New York, Frankfurt and Singapore, and offices across the globe including Belfast, Boston, Cape Town, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Philadelphia, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. This footprint allows it to combine global modelling with local expertise — a structure its clients in multinational business and government value when assessing market trends across regions.
Forecasting Models and Coverage
The company's core product is its suite of global economic and industry models, which it describes as best-in-class. These models generate forecasts and analytical tools covering more than 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors and 8,000 cities and regions — an unusually granular level of coverage that lets clients drill from the global outlook down to specific metropolitan economies.
The firm's research techniques span econometric modelling, scenario framing and economic impact analysis, alongside market surveys, case studies, expert panels and web analytics. Scenario analysis is a particular strength: rather than offering a single point forecast, Oxford Economics models alternative futures — for example, the economic consequences of trade disputes, energy shocks or policy changes — giving decision-makers a structured way to think about uncertainty.
Advisory and Thought-Leadership Services
Beyond subscription forecasting products, Oxford Economics acts as a consultancy and thought-leadership partner. It produces commissioned research for corporate clients — studies on market opportunities, the economic impact of industries or investments, and the implications of regulatory change — which companies use in boardroom decisions, investor communications and public-affairs campaigns.
The firm also works extensively with governments and public bodies. A 2026 report for UK Export Finance, for example, saw Oxford Economics assess the number and nature of businesses supported by UKEF-backed supply chains — the kind of official analytical commission that demonstrates its standing with policymakers. Its economic-impact studies, such as its analysis of Sellafield Ltd's contribution to the economy, are frequently cited in public debate about major projects and employers.
Client Base
Oxford Economics describes itself as a key adviser to corporate, financial and government decision-makers and thought leaders. Its worldwide client base comprises thousands of international organisations, including leading multinational companies and financial institutions, key government bodies and trade associations, and top universities, consultancies and think tanks. Published company descriptions have put the figure at over 2,500 and more recently over 3,000 international organisations.
This breadth — spanning the private sector, the public sector and academia — reflects the fungibility of economic forecasting: the same country and industry models that inform a bank's risk committee can underpin a government's industrial strategy or a university's research programme. Subscription access to the models and regular analytical updates form the commercial backbone of the business.
Acquisitions and Growth
A significant milestone in the firm's expansion was its 2017 acquisition of a controlling stake in BIS Shrapnel, the Australian industry research, analysis and forecasting firm that had operated independently since 1964. Effective March 2017, the combined organisation became BIS Oxford Economics, later known as Oxford Economics Australia — giving the British firm a major established presence in the Asia-Pacific market and deep expertise in Australian construction, mining and property economics.
The acquisition typified Oxford Economics' growth strategy: combining its global modelling platform with strong local research businesses. Similar logic has driven the expansion of its office network across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, building a genuinely global advisory footprint from its Oxford origins.
Presence in Business News
Oxford Economics' forecasts and analysis feature widely in business and financial journalism. Its economists are quoted on GDP growth, inflation, interest rates, labour markets and sector outlooks; its scenario studies provide the numbers behind news stories on everything from the cost of net-zero transitions to the impact of tax reforms. A 2024 report for Foreign Investors for Britain on proposed reforms to the UK's non-dom tax regime, for instance, fed directly into one of the most contested economic policy debates of the period.
The firm's brand benefits from this visibility: regular citation in the financial press reinforces its authority with the corporate and institutional clients who buy its research. For journalists, Oxford Economics offers what newsrooms need — credible numbers, clear explanations and economists willing to speak on the record — making it a staple source on economic stories.
Research Capabilities
The firm's published descriptions emphasise the range of its research techniques. Econometric modelling provides the quantitative backbone; scenario framing structures thinking about alternative futures; economic impact analysis quantifies the contribution of industries, companies and policies; market surveys and case studies add primary evidence; expert panels bring practitioner judgement; and web analytics capture real-time signals. Few competitors combine all of these methods under one roof at comparable scale.
This methodological breadth matters because clients' questions rarely fit a single technique. A multinational considering a factory investment might need country forecasts, sector analysis, labour-cost projections and a scenario study of trade-policy risk — all of which Oxford Economics can supply from its integrated platform.
Profile Summary
Oxford Economics is an Oxford-headquartered global economic forecasting and advisory firm founded in 1981 with Oxford University's business college. It provides reports, forecasts and analytical tools on more than 200 countries, 100 industries and 8,000 cities and regions, employs around 700 staff including over 450 economists and specialists, and serves thousands of corporate, financial, government and academic clients worldwide through offices spanning the UK, North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Its official website is oxfordeconomics.com, where it publishes forecasts, research reports and details of its advisory services.
