Birmingham has been ranked as the second most deprived local authority in England according to a major new government study, marking a significant decline in the city's relative prosperity.
A Sharp Decline in Rankings
The Midlands city has plummeted from 7th place in 2019 to 2nd place in the latest rankings, newly published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. This is the first official update to the deprivation index since before the Covid-19 pandemic, with the data reflecting the profound impact on local communities across the country.
Middlesbrough now holds the unfortunate title of England's most deprived area, with Birmingham positioned directly behind it. The study analysed nearly 300 local authority areas across England, assessing them on critical factors including income, employment, education, health, crime, housing, and the local environment.
Concentration of Deprivation in the West Midlands
The report highlights a severe concentration of poverty within Birmingham itself. A shocking 43% of all Birmingham neighbourhoods are now classified as 'highly deprived'. Furthermore, the city contains several neighbourhoods ranked within the top 200 most impoverished out of more than 33,000 areas analysed nationwide.
Within the city, the district of Druids Heath was identified as the single most deprived neighbourhood. The wider West Midlands region also shows significant challenges, with Walsall ranking as the next most deprived local authority in the region at 25th place nationally, followed closely by Wolverhampton in 32nd.
Sandwell, previously considered one of England's poorest areas, is now ranked 54th. Across the wider Midlands, both Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent feature in the top 20 most deprived areas, placed at 18th and 19th respectively.
National Context and Local Impact
On a national scale, the report identified the most impoverished single neighbourhood in England as being located in Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea, which falls within Nigel Farage’s constituency of Clacton. The next five most deprived areas are all situated in Blackpool.
Conversely, the study found the least deprived parts of England are located in St Albans. The stark contrast between the most and least affluent areas underscores the deep regional inequalities present across the country.
This comprehensive data provides a crucial, evidence-based snapshot of the challenges facing many English cities and will likely inform future policy and funding decisions aimed at tackling deprivation.
