In recent years the British economy has experienced a period of a relatively strong uninterrupted growth, and the majority of bad debt indicators are historically low. What impact have these developments had on the size of the UK non-standard population? Datamonitor's Overview of the UK non-standard and sub-prime lending 2005 report provides the answers.

• Sizes the UK non-standard population
• Discusses the key economic factors driving the non-standard population in the UK
• Assesses social factors and government initiatives that have impacted the non-standard population
• Provides three scenario-based forecasts for the UK non-standard population to 2009

Macro-economic conditions are the underlying and the most important driver of the non-standard population. But they are not an instantaneous driver there is typically a time lag between peaks and troughs in GDP and peaks and troughs in the non-standard population.

According to Datamonitor estimates, there were just over 2m people aged between 18 & 59/64 without a bank account in the UK in 2004. This number, however, would be considerably higher if all age groups were included, because the youngest (16-17) and the oldest (65+) groups account for a relatively substantial proportion of unbanked population.

The impact of the Government's initiatives, such as Saving Gateway, on non-standard lenders will very much depend on if and when the scheme is rolled out nationwide. It is possible to foresee, however, that the Saving Gateway may eventually lessen reliance on non-standard motor finance and other forms of non-standard lending.

• Identify and evaluate macroeconomic drivers that affect the non-standard population in the UK
• Gain a thorough understanding of social factors affecting non-standard lending in the UK
• Plan your overall business strategy with confidence using Datamonitor's macroeconomic forecasts for the non-standard population