School results, smoking rates, shop closures? New statistics tool helps you compare local areas in the UK

When you’re not a die-hard numbers particular person, authorities statistics can typically go proper over your head. That’s, until the info is straightforward to entry and straight speaks to your on a regular basis life.

A brand new on-line service from the UK’s Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) goals to facilitate simply that. Launched in March 2024, the Discover Native Statistics service collates 57 native measurements, throughout subjects starting from well being and faculty outcomes to smoking and earnings ranges.

You merely enter your postcode or the title of an space you’re considering of shifting to, say, and you’ll discover, obtain and map all types of statistics that inform you one thing about what residing there may be like.

The ONS has highlighted that information revealed by public our bodies is commonly troublesome to entry for officers, not to mention extraordinary residents who’re merely interested in their native areas. This new service, in contrast, makes it straightforward.

Geographical inequalities

What do Kingston upon Hull, a port metropolis in the direction of the north of England, and Worthing, a 270 mile drive to the south, have in frequent? The ONS instrument will inform you that, amongst all UK native authorities, they share the very best percentages of premises with very quick broadband speeds.

Torbay and Blackpool, in the meantime, two westerly coastal areas separated by the entire of Wales, rank among the many highest by way of truancy.

Such comparisons shortly spotlight long-standing geographical inequalities throughout the social and financial panorama of the UK. The common employee in Wandsworth, a borough in south-west London, will get paid nearly double that of a employee in West Devon.

The common male born in Rutland, within the east Midlands, between 2018-2019, is anticipated to dwell 74.7 years. In Blackpool, that determine drops to a stunning 53.5 years.

Within the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, male life expectancy elevated by 11 years from 2011-13, maybe via gentrification and the displacement of conventional communities.

However in locations together with Warwickshire, within the west Midlands and North East Lincolnshire, it’s falling. This chimes with analysis exhibiting that life expectancy is mostly declining within the UK however there are massive geographical variations in how lengthy individuals are anticipated to dwell.

Extra broadly, the service permits comparisons between the UK’s 4 nations.Murder charges are 30% better in England than they’re in Wales (10.3 homicides per 1 million individuals recorded in England in 2020-23; 7.9 in Wales). The 2022-23 financial inactivity fee (proportion of individuals aged 16 to 64 who aren’t in employment and aren’t actively in search of work) is best in Northern Eire (25.0), adopted by Wales (22.9), Scotland (22.1) and England (21.1).

What the info doesn’t present

One helpful function is the power to match like with like. A neighborhood politician, as an example, would possibly discover how their space is performing relative to others which can be demographically or geographically shut.

The estimated gross disposable earnings in Bradford, within the north of England, is about 25% decrease than the common for all native authorities within the UK. That common, nevertheless, consists of London’s most rich areas – the Metropolis of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster…

Evaluating Bradford with the super-rich is arguably not as significant as evaluating Bradford with native authorities within the UK’s industrial heartlands – the Scottish Lowlands, the north-east of England, Larger Manchester, Yorkshire, south Wales – which the ONS describe as low-ranking by way of wholesome life expectancy, home electrical energy consumption and academic {qualifications} and high-ranking within the proportion of youngsters in relative poverty.

But even amongst this group, earnings in Bradford is low. Additionally it is low for Yorkshire and the Humber, the area through which Bradford is positioned. This reveals each regional and sub-regional inequalities.

Typically, opening up entry to information is a good suggestion. It permits a wider vary of individuals to entry info that may be helpful to them personally, politically and commercially. However just a few notes of warning are warranted.

First, not all ONS information is presently obtainable at an in depth, geographic stage.

The service affords hyperlinks to instruments for acquiring and mapping neighbourhood-level Census 2021 information for England and Wales. However, for the 57 native indicators it collates, the info seems solely to be obtainable for native authorities, areas or nations. Devolution means additionally it is very often restricted to England.

The issue with native authority information is it conceals inner social, financial and geographic variations. The common disposable earnings in Kensington and Chelsea, for instance, is reported to be £90,971 per particular person. That determine belies the massive inequality and deprivation inside that London borough.

Second, not all geographical variation is significant. When you click on right here and alter the default map to “Nations”, Northern Eire will seem like the happiest nation, adopted by Scotland, England and Wales. Nevertheless, the precise numbers (proven within the desk under the map) present the variations between the nations are trivial. In actual fact, all however Northern Eire have the identical worth. The map thus suggests variations that don’t actually exist.

Third, direct comparability between locations will not be at all times applicable as a result of geographical areas can fluctuate significantly in bodily and inhabitants dimension. Birmingham has the very best rely of companies ceasing exercise. The Isles of Scilly, positioned off the coast of south-west England, have the least. Birmingham additionally has the very best variety of enterprise births. On this case, the Orkney Islands, in Scotland, have the least.

You would possibly assume that these statistics relate to the native financial system, entrepreneurism or innovation. However there’s a less complicated rationalization: Birmingham is extra populous than every other native authority within the UK (its Census 2021 inhabitants was over 1.14 million; the following largest in England and Wales, is Leeds, at about 812,000). Extra residents means extra alternative for companies to open and shut.

Fourth, a lot of the info is out there on an annual or related foundation. This may be very helpful for finding out modifications over time. However, watch out. Did the share of adults who smoke conventional (not e-) cigarettes actually greater than double in Mid Devon over one 12 months, from 10.8 in 2021 to 25.1 in 2022? It’s unlikely. It’s extra doubtless as a consequence of a change within the estimation technique.

This service is an effective first step in the direction of a one-stop store for straightforward entry to subnational statistics to know native areas and the way they’re altering. Extra granular information about native neighbourhoods, in the way in which a service like StreetCheck gives, would make it higher.