Project: Rural deprivation and exclusion
The Deprivation in rural areas: Quantitative analysis and socio-economic classification project commissioned from OCSI by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) enhances the existing research-base on rural deprivation. Specifically the project aims to:
- Highlight the volume and pattern of the rural share of deprivation: that is, the numbers of people experiencing different forms of deprivation living in rural areas. Our analysis looks at national and regional level, based on a set of key indicators
- Drill-down below Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) level to identify small pockets of deprivation in rural areas that are not identified by existing deprivation datasets. CRC intend to carry out case studies in these hotspots, to provide more detailed descriptions of exclusion and deprivation for individuals, households and communities in these rural areas. We extend and validate the work carried out by OCSI and JH Research across Norfolk (see links below), to identify Output Area deprivation levels across England. Validation is based on datasets obtained at Output Area level across England, for example DWP benefit claimant numbers
- Explore whether there is a typology of deprived rural communities, that could be used to characterise and group similar areas and communities based on quantitative socio-economic data-sources. Our work here builds on the ONS Output Area Classifications (OAC), as well as the ONS rural-urban area classification
- Identify a set of exemplar deprivation 'hotspots' in rural areas, based on the modelled Output Area deprivation data. These include hotspots that are not identified as particularly deprived using Super Output Area level datasets such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007
OCSI have worked with a range of organisations to better understand and target rural exclusion, including the Commission for Rural Communities, Norfolk Rural Community Council, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk ACRE, Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, and South-East Rural Community Councils.
Call Tom Smith on 01273 201345 or email info@ocsi.co.uk to find out more, or follow the links below for more information.
Further information
Reports
- Commission for Rural Communities
- Deprivation in Rural Norfolk report and Technical Report
- Rural volume of deprivation in the South-East (link to external website)
Articles
- "Hidden poverty in rural areas" (Eastern Daily Press)
- "Rural Deprivation study reveals hidden truths" (Suffolk Scene)
- "Rural poverty fears as numbers revealed" (East Anglia Daily Times)
- "Deprivation in Rural Norfolk" (LARIA News)
Datasets
- Deprivation datasets modelled to Output Area level:
All Areas (This text file contains all data for Output Areas in England. Users with older versions of Excel may need to use the individual region files below)
East Midlands - East England - London - North-East England - North-West England - South-East England - South-West England - West Midlands - Yorkshire and the Humber
Datasets have been updated (1st July 2008) - please see metadata in files for details
- The Rural Share of Deprivation in the South-East (link to external website)