The Poorest UK Places | UK Living Wage Commission (2024)

The most impoverished neighborhood in England is an Essex seaside village, which is according to a recently published official study. Having measured the states of deprivation across thirty-two thousand eight hundred and forty-four areas in the country, the researchers concluded that the community that lies east of Jaywick near Clacton-on-Sea is the most deprived region in the country. The report also found that most of the deprived neighborhoods in the country lie in the north. These include Middlesbrough, Hull, Liverpool, Knowsley, and Manchester.
Of the top ten most deprived neighborhoods, Blackpool had ten on the list. It also had eight regions placing in the twenty most deprived areas. According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation published in 2015, eighty-three percent of the neighborhoods in the list were present in the year 2010. Some communities have gotten dropped from the list, following investments made after the last record got published. Seven out of the ten local districts with the most significant levels of income deprivation amongst the older population are in the capital.

Jaywick

Without interventions from both the local and the national governments, neighborhoods such as the Jaywick are in danger of spiraling out of control in regards to poverty. People in this area face numerous planning restrictions imposed on them by the national government. These regulations prevent them from undertaking any significant housing developments and have done so for the last four decades. The government, as well as the local council, was recently lobbied to come up with less stringent standards on the housing to benefit the people living here. With the new policies in place, squalor can get reduced over time. ‘Housing’ is a means of providing shelter as well as employment opportunities to the residents. A recent study shows that unemployment levels are at record levels and many people are unable to scrape up enough money to meet their basic needs.

Top twenty most deprived regions in the UK

  • Tendring- around St Osyth and Seawick
  • Blackpool- the Area near The Central Pier
  • Blackpool- Around the Promenade by the North Pier
  • Thanet- In Cliftonville West
  • Blackpool- in the Region by the South Pier
  • Tendring- in the Area by Clacton-On-The-Sea
  • Blackpool- in the Region That Falls between Waterloo Road and St Chad’s Station
  • Coventry- In the Area around Hillmorton Road In Henly
  • Blackpool- In Woolman Road As Well As Clinton Avenue
  • Waveney- In the Location of the South Pier in Lowestoft
  • Blackpool-Around the Cookson Street
  • Kingston upon Hull- near St John’s Grove
  • North East Lincolnshire- In the Area That Is Around Oxford Street in Grimsby
  • Burnley- The Area That Falls On Tay Street and Howard Street
  • Burnley- The Region That Lies Between Belvedere Road and the Church Street
  • Mansfield- In Sandy Lane
  • Blackpool- In Carshalton Road As Well As Clevedon Road
  • Blackburn with Darwen- The Region of Wensley Fold
  • Great Yarmouth- By the Seafront

Problems leading to deprivation

Poor policies

Some national, as well as local government policies do more to oppress the society than they do to build. Stringent laws on trade and housing should be lifted to allow people to have more access to employment opportunities.

Unemployment rates

The unemployment rates are currently very high, and as such, people lack the funds required to invest. Without investments coming up in such neighborhoods, fewer developments take place, and this makes the economy of the towns stagnate.

Lack of funding

Local authorities rely on financing sourced from levies and taxes and without much business going on in a deprived neighborhood, there will be fewer funds. As such, a local authority will find it hard to develop an area using the meager resources it collects.

It is necessary that the national government intervenes by creating more employment opportunities and introducing fair laws in these impoverished regions. Only then can they get off the ‘Most Deprived Neighborhoods’ list.

The Poorest UK Places | UK Living Wage Commission (2024)

FAQs

The Poorest UK Places | UK Living Wage Commission? ›

The ONS says: "The North East was the region of England in which the highest proportion of households were deprived in at least one dimension (54.6%, 641,000). By contrast, the region with the highest proportion of households that were not deprived in any dimension was the South East (52%, 2.0 million)."

What part of the UK is the poorest? ›

It was constructed in the 1930s as a holiday resort for Londoners, but has, over time, been officially named the most deprived area in the country.
...
Jaywick
Dialling code01255
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
15 more rows

What is the most disadvantaged area in the UK? ›

The ONS says: "The North East was the region of England in which the highest proportion of households were deprived in at least one dimension (54.6%, 641,000). By contrast, the region with the highest proportion of households that were not deprived in any dimension was the South East (52%, 2.0 million)."

What are the lowest income towns in the UK? ›

The five poorest areas are:
  • Coventry.
  • Sandwell.
  • Blackburn with Darwen.
  • Leicester.
  • Nottingham.
Oct 13, 2022

What are the most deprived local authorities in the UK? ›

The London Boroughs of Newham, Hackney and Tower Hamlets each contain over 90 deprived LSOAs each. their size. Wolverhampton and Sandwell in the Black Country and County Durham in the North East for example feature among the Authorities with the highest number of deprived LSOAs.

Which UK city has the most poverty? ›

London has the highest rate of poverty, with over one in four (27%) people in poverty. A predominant driver of this is tenure mix and the high cost of housing; over half of Londoners live in rented accommodation, of whom four in ten are in poverty, with half of these in poverty only after housing costs.

Who are the poorest in UK society? ›

Who is in poverty? Some groups are more likely than others to be in poverty. In 2021/22, poverty rates were highest for people in households where the head of the household is from the Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic groups and lowest for those from White ethnic groups.

Where is the unhealthiest place to live in the UK? ›

A study analysed figures from the ONS, which scored every local authority in England on a number of factors for physical health, mental health, fitness and more; and compared the scores with the national average to see which areas were the 'most unhealthy'. The study found that Blackpool is England's unhealthiest area.

Where do the least people live in the UK? ›

Population density in the UK in 2021, by region

Scotland, by contrast, is the most sparsely populated country in the United Kingdom, with only 70 people per square kilometer.

What is the unhealthiest place in England? ›

  • The 2021 census has revealed the unhealthiest areas of England and Wales.
  • London's Tower Hamlets topped the list with 9.5% reporting being in poor health.
  • This was over three times higher than proportion in the City of London borough.
  • The nations healthiest area was Elmbridge in Surrey with 90% in good health.
Jan 19, 2023

Where is it cheapest to live in the UK? ›

Cheapest Places To Live In UK
  1. Durham, North East England. Durham is located in northeast England, south of Newcastle upon Tyne. ...
  2. Belfast, Capital of Northern Ireland. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, and it was also where the RMS Titanic was built. ...
  3. Leicester. ...
  4. Stirling. ...
  5. Lancaster. ...
  6. Cardiff. ...
  7. Newcastle. ...
  8. Coventry.
Dec 5, 2022

Where do low income people live in London? ›

Barking & Dagenham in east London is shown to be the most deprived borough, with 37.1 percent of its residents suffering deprivation in at least one of the categories.

What is a low earner UK? ›

The government's department of work and pensions defines low pay as any family earning less than 60% of the national median pay. On this basis, there are more than 13 million people in the UK living in low-income households.

What are the poorest towns in England? ›

The bottom five areas based on gross disposable income were Nottingham, Leicester, Blackburn with Darwen, Sandwell and Coventry. In contrast in 2020, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham was the area with the highest GDHI per head of £60,277, nearly three times the UK average.

What is the poorest area of London? ›

At number one is Golborne in Kensington and Chelsea. Golborne is the most deprived ward in London with a score of 46.6. Golborne has a population of nearly 9,000 residents. Again, Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive borough in London but the wealth disparity is concentrated in certain parts of the borough.

What are the most underfunded counties in the UK? ›

The 10 most underfunded were: Easington ,Tendring, Knowsley, Barking and Dagenham, Ashfield, North Liverpool, Central Liverpool, Heart of Birmingham, Tower Hamlets, Basildon. The disclosure came in the commission's first annual report on the state of health care in England and Wales.

Is poverty worse in US or UK? ›

Britain really is poorer than even the poorest of the US States, yes, including even Mississippi. One final point: while exactly this study may not have been done very similar ones have. I specifically recall someone making this comparison with Sweden a few years back.

Is poverty higher in UK or US? ›

The results show that poverty in the US is more serious than that in the UK. Although the overall income in the US is higher than that in the UK, the poor in the US, especially the ultra-poor, are poorer than those in the UK.

Which is the blackest city in UK? ›

Almost 97 per cent of Black Britons live in England, particularly in England's larger urban areas, with most (over a million) Black British living in Greater London.
...
Black British people.
Regions with significant populations
Wales27,554 (0.8%) (2021 census)
Northern Ireland11,032 (0.58%) (2021 census)
Languages
7 more rows

Which ethnicity earns the most in the UK? ›

Households from Indian, Chinese and White ethnic groups have the highest income. There is significant income inequality between ethnic groups in the UK. This data measures incomes based on the ethnic group of the 'household reference person'; the person in the household with the highest income.

What percentage of black people in the UK are poor? ›

Poverty rates for the Black/African/Caribbean/Black British ethnic group have largely stayed just over 40% for the last 25 years.

Does the UK live in poverty? ›

13.4 million people were living in poverty in 2020/21

Around one in five of our population (20%) were in poverty in 2020/21 - that's 13.4 million people. Of these: 7.9 million were working-age adults. 3.9 million were children.

What is the cleanest place in the UK? ›

Exeter cleanest city in England – that's official - Exeter City Council News.

Where is the cleanest place to live in England? ›

Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes has been named the healthiest place to live in the UK, praised for its low pollution levels.

Where do most Americans live in the UK? ›

The largest single local cluster of Americans in the UK recorded by the 2001 UK Census was in Mildenhall in North-West Suffolk—the site of RAF Mildenhall and nearby RAF Lakenheath. This is because of the legacy of the Cold War and NATO cooperation. 17.28% of Mildenhall's population were born in the United States.

What is the least white city in England? ›

The 2021 census shows "white" ethnic groups make up 81% of England here . The cities that have a white minority are Birmingham and Leicester, the ONS told Reuters. Meanwhile, in London and Manchester, less than half of the populations there defined themselves as “white British” in the census, the ONS said.

Where do most immigrants live in UK? ›

The UK's migrant population is concentrated in London. Around 35% of people living in the UK who were born abroad live in the capital city. Similarly, around 37% of people living in London were born outside the UK, compared with 14% for the UK as a whole.

Is England healthier than America? ›

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare, research published in the US has revealed. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers, data on over 100,000 people show.

What is the most obese town in England? ›

Combining three years of data (2012, 2013, and 2014) Public Health England identified Barnsley, South Yorkshire as the local authority with the highest incidence of adult obesity (BMI greater than 30) with 35.1%.

Why is the UK so unhealthy? ›

Inactivity contributes to the problem

Low levels of physical activity, combined with more people working in sedentary office jobs in recent decades, also contribute to the UK's overweight problem.

Is it cheaper to live in the UK than the USA? ›

Overall, the cost of living in the U.K. is 0.49% lower than in the United States. Rent overall is about 22.55% lower in the U.K. You would need $4,700 per month to finance a modest lifestyle in London, compared to $5,822 for the equivalent lifestyle in New York City.

Is it cheaper to live in America than the UK? ›

Although the latest statistics from the World Population Review rank the United States as a slightly more expensive country to live in than the UK, it is important to note that this is on average, and the cost of living varies widely across the USA.

Is UK more expensive to live than USA? ›

The average rent per month for a one-bedroom flat in the UK is £700. In the USA it is $1,169, which works out to around £940 per month, making the UK a clear winner here.

Where do rich Americans live in London? ›

The richest and most expensive neighbourhoods in London are definitely Chelsea, Kensington, Mayfair, and Knightsbridge! These neighbourhoods are known for their fashionable and expensive shops and restaurants, as well as being home to many of the richest people in the world.

What is lowest income household UK? ›

In the year ending March 2020, a household made up of a couple with no children would be in low income with an annual household income of up to £17,100 before housing costs and £14,800 after housing costs. Household income is the total income of the household before tax, National Insurance and other deductions.

Where were the slums of London? ›

During Queen Victoria's reign numerous slums lurked behind the capital's busy thoroughfares: Vicious and overcrowded hovels were sandwiched in between the Mile End Road and Commercial Road in Stepney, wretched rookeries lay behind Drury Lane and filthy tenements lined the west side of Borough High Street.

What salary is middle class UK? ›

Median income for non-retired households decreased by 0.3% in FYE 2022, from £34,100 to £34,000, following a 1.0% increase in the previous year, with an average annual growth of 1.7% in the 10 years leading up to 2022 (FYE 2013 to FYE 2022).

Why are UK wages so low? ›

A big contributing factor to the difference in pay in the UK and the US boils down to British subsidised social benefits, specifically the NHS, our free healthcare system. In the US, healthcare is a complicated and expensive system involving providers, payers and patients.

What is monthly low income UK? ›

Households are in low income if they live on less than 60% of the median income. Median income (before housing costs) was just under £30,000 for a couple with no children in the period from January 2019 to December 2020.

What are the poorest communities in London? ›

The borough that is the poorest in London is Tower Hamlets which has around 39 percent of the poverty rate, meaning around 2 in 5 people in the borough are living in poverty. Other than this, Newham, Hackney and Islington are ranked poor having 37 percent, 36 percent and 34 percent poverty rates respectively.

What is the cheapest area to live in London? ›

The Cheapest Places to Live in London:
  • Barking and Dagenham.
  • Bexley.
  • Sutton.
  • Havering.
  • Croydon.
  • Enfield.
  • Hillingdon.
Feb 1, 2023

What is the roughest city in England? ›

While many expected London and Greater Manchester as the most violent and crime-ridden areas in England and Wales, the northern county of Cleveland - which includes Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees - claimed the top spot.

What is the least safe town in England? ›

The Least Safe Towns and Cities in England and Wales
RankCityRegion
1ManchesterNorth West England
2BlackpoolNorth West England
3LiverpoolNorth West England
4BirminghamWest Midlands
6 more rows
Jan 30, 2023

What is the safest city in England? ›

READING is the UK's safest city, with just 59 recorded crimes per 1,000 people. The town came top of a new survey that looked at the city centre safety level for crime, pickpocketing, theft, violent crime and vandalism.

Where is the safest place to live in UK? ›

The 10 Safest Places to Live and Work in the UK (2023)
  • #10 – Sussex. Overall Crime Rate of 72.9 crimes per 1000 people. ...
  • #8 – Warwickshire. Overall Crime Rate of 71.3 crimes per 1000 people. ...
  • #6 – Dorset. Overall Crime Rate of 65.8 crimes per 1000 people. ...
  • #4 – Surrey. ...
  • #2 – North Yorkshire.

Which is richer USA or UK? ›

For instance, compared to the American GDP per capita in 2022, the British economy won't reach the same level until 2037. GDP per Capita in the United States is expected to reach 62200.00 USD by the end of 2022 while the GDP per capita in the United Kingdom was 8,265 British pounds in the third quarter of 2022.

Is Living in the UK better than US? ›

The UK is often considered to be a cheaper place to live. The cost of living in both countries is not the same and can vary depending on where people choose to live. It's also important to note that the average salary for someone in the US is significantly higher than what it would be in the UK due to taxes.

Is USA wealthier than the UK? ›

In 2015 real GDP per capita was $56,000 in the United States. The real GDP per capita in that same year was only $47,000 in Germany, $41,000 in France and the United Kingdom, and just $36,000 in Italy, adjusting for purchasing power. In short, the U.S. remains richer than its peers.

Is cost of living worse in UK or US? ›

The UK was reported to be among the worst affected among the world's advanced economies. In 2021, the UK's inflation was less than that of the US, but high US inflation was not generally experienced as a cost-of-living crisis due to the stimulus cheques that had been distributed to American households.

Is England healthier than the US? ›

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare, research published in the US has revealed. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers, data on over 100,000 people show.

Where does America rank in poverty? ›

Table 1. Extent of Poverty across 26 OECD Countries
CountryOverallPoverty Gap
Mexico16.633.5
Korea17.435.5
25 country average10.729.6
United States17.839.8
23 more rows

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