Regional Trends 

About: Regional Trends is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Household income. Over the lifetime, 15 publications have been published receiving 248 citations.

Rural and urban areas: comparing lives using rural/urban classifications

Abstract: Most people have a clear impression of what the cities, towns and countryside look like in the UK, both physically and in terms of the lives of the people who live there. This article compares rural and urban areas statistically for themes such as working, earnings, services and population, using geographical classifications. There is quantitative evidence that rural areas are better off than urban areas on a number of different measures, such as unemployment and crime, but there are substantial differences within both rural and urban areas. In a few respects rural areas are worse off. Analysis indicates that house prices are less affordable to local workers in rural areas than urban areas and the costs, travel time and carbon emissions resulting from transport tend to be higher in rural areas. Using classifications that show sparse areas of England, some topics, such as incomes and qualifications, show ‘two countrysides’ – a better off, less sparse and more accessible one, and a less populous and isolated sparse countryside. Patterns within urban areas often differ, with the most urban areas of England frequently showing different trends from those in other places, and the widest variations. This article shows that while no single rural/urban classification can be used for all geographies, using such a product helps to better understand the differing characteristics of rural and urban areas in a consistent, transparent way. This article will be of interest to those who wish to explore local authority or small area datasets, covering countries within the UK, for rural/urban differences, as well as those who wish to develop a greater understanding of rural/urban differences in general. It will also be of interest to those involved in local policy development and the allocation of resources within areas, as well as academics, journalists, researchers and members of the public with an interest in the classification and characteristics of rural and urban areas.

Regional health inequalities in England

Abstract: This article aims to provide an up-to-date picture of regional health inequalities in England. Health inequalities can start early in life and persist not only into old age, but subsequent generations. To address these health inequalities, a better understanding is needed of how health compares across the country. This article brings together a range of health indicators for each of the nine government office regions, making comparisons across regions and against England as a whole. Indicators include life expectancy, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug usage, child obesity and mortality rates by cause. Bringing these indicators together in this manner provides a fuller picture of health differences between regions, instead of looking at each indicator in isolation. The article confirms other studies showing that the north-south divide between regions persists, as the overall picture of health is better in the south than it is in the north. However, the article also reveals exceptions where some health indicators do not fit in with this trend.

Ageing across the UK

Abstract: The wellbeing of the older population in the UK is a priority to local and national government and health authorities, as well as to people themselves. The population aged over 65 is progressively becoming a larger percentage of the nation's population. The effects of falling mortality rates are especially visible among the ‘oldest old’. At the same time, however, the older population is supported by a shrinking labour force. This article explores regional and sub-regional variations in the concentration of older people. The populations of London and Northern Ireland have smaller proportions of older people than other regions. The South West and Wales have higher proportions and local authority level data suggest a pattern of settlement in coastal and rural areas. Population projections indicate, on the basis of past trends, the expected future growth in the population at older ages. The article also investigates measures of wellbeing of the ageing population including benefits and income deprivation, life expectancy, aspects of health and social care, older workers, and qualifications and learning. At local authority and small area level, variations in the older population often appear to correspond to the rural or urban nature of the areas concerned. The article includes case studies of income deprivation of older people at Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level in the North West and the South East regions.

Portrait of the North West

Abstract: Key points The North West has a population of 6.9 million, the third greatest among the regions of England and countries of the UK, with only London and South East having higher populations The region’s population is projected to increase at the lowest rate of all the English regions (9 per cent between 2008 and 2033) and is one of two regions where the working-age population is projected to decrease Over 87 per cent of the population live in urban areas, contributing to the highest regional population density in the UK outside London The Lake District National Park occupies 18 per cent of the land area of the North West region The North West has the second highest rainfall in England The North West makes a larger contribution to the UK’s manufacturing industry than any other region (13 per cent of manufacturing gross value added in 2008) The North West has the third largest expenditure on research and development by businesses in the UK. Almost 78 per cent of the region’s total research and development expenditure was in businesses, the second highest proportion of any region in the UK Of the 939 sites in England generating electricity from renewable sources in 2009, 150 were in the North West (16 per cent) - more than any other English region In the North West, 47 per cent of motor vehicle traffic on major roads was on motorways, the highest proportion among the English regions

Understanding household income poverty at small area level

Abstract: A new ONS data release provides experimental estimates of the proportion of households in poverty, after housing costs, at Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) level in England and Wales. These complement the experimental estimates of average household income for MSOAs already published by ONS. These estimates are based on Family Resources Survey (FRS) data and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publication Household Below Average Income derived from FRS data. They use a similar modelling approach to that used for the average household income estimates. The first set of these estimates relate to the 2007/08 period. Future updates will be released alongside the estimates of average household income. This article looks at spatial patterns in the proportion of households in poverty, in particular looking at how poverty is distributed within regions and local authorities. The article shows that there are wide variations in the patterns of the proportions of households in poverty in each region. Looking across all MSOAs, Wales, the North East and London had the highest median values of the proportion of households in poverty. London had the largest spread, that is, it had both areas with very low and high proportions of households in poverty. The article also provides an introduction to these estimates and some summary guidance on their use. It will be of interest to people with a focus on poverty at a local level such as politicians, charities, planners, regeneration specialists, and academics.