Midlands Towns and Cities Feature Prominently in New Deprivation Index
Several urban centres across the Midlands have been identified among Britain's most deprived places according to a newly published national assessment. The findings come from the latest Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index 2025, which evaluates both prosperity levels and quality of life for residents across the United Kingdom.
Black Country Town Ranks as Nation's Most Deprived
The comprehensive analysis has placed Walsall at the very bottom of its national rankings, labelling the Black Country town as the most deprived location in Britain. This represents a significant decline in the town's position compared to previous assessments, highlighting particular challenges in economic and social wellbeing indicators.
Other Midlands urban centres also feature prominently in the lower half of the index, with Birmingham ranking particularly poorly at 48th out of 50 locations assessed. This places England's second city just two positions above the very bottom of the national table, indicating substantial deprivation challenges across multiple measurement criteria.
Regional Performance Across Key Urban Centres
The index reveals a mixed picture across the Midlands region, with several major cities appearing in the bottom half of national rankings:
- Nottingham placed 40th in the national assessment
- Wolverhampton ranked slightly higher at 39th position
- Leicester achieved 32nd place in the rankings
- Coventry performed relatively better at 26th position
These results indicate that deprivation challenges extend across multiple urban centres in the region, affecting communities throughout the Midlands.
Methodology and Measurement Criteria
The Good Growth for Cities Index evaluates 50 of Britain's largest towns and cities, excluding London, using a comprehensive framework that combines both public perception and objective performance data. The assessment incorporates twelve distinct economic and social measures that collectively paint a detailed picture of local prosperity and quality of life.
Key indicators include:
- Employment opportunities and job security
- Health outcomes and healthcare accessibility
- Income levels and financial stability
- Community safety and crime rates
- Skills development and educational attainment
- Work-life balance and leisure time
- Housing affordability and quality
- Transport connectivity and reliability
- Income equality and distribution
- High street vitality and retail provision
- Environmental quality and sustainability
- Business start-up rates and entrepreneurial activity
Regional Success Story and National Leaders
Despite the generally poor performance across much of the Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent emerged as a regional success story, achieving an impressive 13th place in the national rankings. This positions the Staffordshire city as the most prosperous location in the Midlands according to the index's comprehensive assessment framework.
Nationally, York topped the rankings as Britain's most prosperous city, followed closely by Edinburgh in second place and Bristol in third position. These results highlight significant regional variations in prosperity and quality of life across different parts of the United Kingdom.
Expert Analysis and Policy Implications
Rachel Taylor, government and health industries leader at PwC, commented on the findings, noting that ongoing financial pressures are influencing how people prioritise factors affecting their quality of life and future prospects. "Bustling high streets, new businesses, and reliable transport links build confidence and optimism among residents," she observed.
Taylor emphasised the importance of focusing on fundamental elements that support thriving communities and businesses, stating: "To strengthen local and regional economies in the UK, we need to concentrate on maximising local strengths with genuine economic potential and achieving noticeable results. Good growth strategies should recognise the link between economic and social foundations."
The expert further explained that successful communities require secure employment opportunities, accessible services, reliable transport infrastructure, and a genuine sense of wellbeing for residents to thrive. Simultaneously, businesses depend on healthy, skilled populations and stable infrastructure to grow and contribute to local prosperity.
These findings come at a crucial time for regional development policy, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in areas experiencing significant deprivation challenges while building on existing strengths in more prosperous locations.
