Recent Research
Click on the links below to view the most recent research published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
March 2025 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment fell 8.0% in March, from 88.1 in February to 81.1, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey conducted by the University of Michigan measured an even larger decline (11.9%) in sentiment among Americans as a whole.
Utah’s Declining Fertility Rate, 2023
U.S. and Utah fertility rates continued a long-term decline in 2023. The U.S. total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.621 in 2023, a 2.1% decline from 1.656 in 2022.
Utah Economic Growth 2024: GDP and Personal Income
Utah’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth led the nation in 2024, reaching 4.5%, compared to the nation’s robust 2.8% growth.
Gardner Business Review: A Retrospective of Utah’s Urban-Rural History
Ninety percent of Utah’s population qualifies as urban, making Utah one of the most urban states in the nation. This historical overview describes the process whereby a few counties became heavily urban while the majority of Utah’s counties remain rural today.
Utah/Federal Government Nexus Data Summary: Research Funding in Utah
Utah received $4.4 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding in FY 2023. About 80% of this amount went to private businesses, 10% to higher education, and 9% to federal agencies within the state.
Utah Economic Council Forecast, March 2025
The Utah Economic Council, convened by the David Eccles School of Business and Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, publishes regular economic forecasts related to the Utah and U.S. economies. This includes potential risks to both the state and national economies that the council assesses and weighs.
Utah/Federal Government Nexus Data Summary: Balance of Payments Between Utah and the Federal Government
Utah consistently places in the bottom quarter of states in per capita federal balance of payments (taxes paid less funds received by Utahns) in various measures over time and using different methodologies.
Public Policy Lessons From the Michael O. Leavitt Administration: Public Education
Public education underpins Utah’s economic prosperity. Utah will benefit if state leaders coordinate statewide efforts to address teacher burnout, invest in early learning, and support schools in promising modernization practices.
Public Policy Lessons From the Michael O. Leavitt Administration: Human Services
As Utah’s population grows and ages, human services require attention upstream and across sectors. Leaders can make sustainable investments in social capital and physical and mental health services.
Public Policy Lessons From the Michael O. Leavitt Administration: Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Utah welcomes the world in less than a decade. The decisions made during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games prepared Utah to host again, but the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be larger and present different challenges and opportunities.
