State of the South West 2008

Index of Multiple Deprivation

10.26 The Index of Multiple Deprivation ( IMD) 2007 is an area-based measure of deprivation, comparing England’s 32,482 lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs). The IMD uses 37 statistical indicators to score and rank each LSOA for the overall index, 7 domains and 8 sub domains. The LSOA figures are also used to produce a series of local authority summaries.

10.27 Of the South West’s 3,226 LSOAs, 113 are among the most deprived 10% in England. Only the South East and East of England have a smaller proportion. These 113 LSOAs have a combined population of about 179,000, about 3.5% of the regional total. 

10.28 According to the IMD, the most deprived LSOAs in the region are in Plymouth - part of St Peter and Waterfront ward (the 98th most deprived LSOA in England) and part of Devonport (104). Five other South West LSOAs are among the most deprived 1 per cent in the country, parts of Bristol's Lawrence Hill ward (206), Southmead (265), Filwood (275) and Whitchurch Park (317) and part of Bournemouth's Boscombe West ward (303).

10.29 Bristol has 39 of its 252 LSOAs among the most deprived 10% in England, the largest number and proportion of LSOAs among the region’s 45 district and unitary authority areas. Plymouth  has 16 of its 160 LSOAs among the most deprived 10% and Torbay  has 10 out of 89. The other 48 most deprived South West LSOAs are located in 15 different local authorities and 17 different towns and cities. All but one is classified as urban (within a settlement of 10,000 or more people), the exception being part of St. Blazey in Cornwall. 

10.30 Both the 2004 and 2007 IMD use a lower level geography than was the case in the 2000 series which was based on wards. Despite this, pockets of deprivation can still be undetected. This is particularly true in rural areas where LSOAs are often quite large in size and where social exclusion is more likely to be masked by surrounding affluence. 

10.31 The IMD domains and sub domains indicate that the type of deprivation that affects the most areas in the South West relates to geographical barriers to housing and services. 14% of South West LSOAs are among the most deprived 10% in England in this sub domain, the 2nd highest proportion of the 9 regions.

10.32 Numerically, Deprivation relating to living environment, crime and education affects more South West LSOAs than that relating to employment, income and health. However, in all six cases, there are at least 4 other regions with a greater proportion of LSOAs affected.

10.33 Six summary measures of the IMD 2007 were produced for English districts. Each summary focuses on a different aspect of multiple deprivation and none is favoured over another. Bristol and Plymouth are within the most deprived national quartile of local authorities in all six measures, Penwith and Torbay in three, Kerrier in two and Bournemouth, North Cornwall, Restormel and West Somerset in one.

10.34 The statistical indicators that fed into the IMD 2007 are available on the  Neighbourhood Statistics website.