Welcome to the latest edition of Public Data Insights, our monthly summary of the latest data and statistical releases from various government departments and public bodies, all with a focus on sub-national insights.
With a wealth of statistics available from government sources, there are many opportunities to leverage this data to communicate key issues to stakeholders at a local level.
Whether you’re tracking unemployment rates, inflation, or more specialised data releases, this round-up is designed to spotlight some of the most intriguing regional and local-level statistics.
Private Rental Affordability
For the first time, the Office for National Statistics has provided data on private rental affordability at a local authority level. Rent is considered affordable if it uses 30% or less of a household’s income.
Private rents in England spent 34.2% of their income on rent in 2023, with affordability levels remaining similar to those in 2015. Kensington and Chelsea was deemed the least affordable local authority for private renters, with median rent accounting for 52.2% of income. North Lincolnshire was the most affordable, with rent accounting for 18.8% of incomes.
Next Update: 2025
Source: Office for National Statistics
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England
In a survey of secondary school pupils in years 7 to 11, 5% reported drinking alcohol at least once a week. 37% of pupils had ever had an alcoholic drink, with prevalence increasing with age.
Reported by region, the South West had the highest percentage of pupils who were current smokers (14%), whilst the North East had the highest percentage of current e-cigarette users (12%). 25% of pupils surveyed had tried vaping.
Next Update: 2025
Source: NHS Digital
Fire Statistics
Data released by the Home Office reports on incidents, fires, fatalities, casualties, response times, and workforce diversity within Fire and Rescue Services. Within incidents, data on dwelling, non-dwelling fires, deliberate fires, false alarms, and non-fire incidents have all been published.
Greater London reported the highest total incidents in 2024/25 (32,676), but Cleveland and Tyne and Wear reported the highest rates of incidents per 100,000 (393.41 and 377.58, respectively).
Next Update: TBC
Source: Home Office
Nature Conservation
Compiled by County Councils, Wildlife Trusts, and Local Environmental Recording Centres, this local authority data looks at the management of local sites in England. These sites are designated for their nature conservation, either for wildlife or geology.
With just under 50% of local authorities participating, there has been a 12% point increase in positive management since 2008/09. In the five years prior to March 2023, 44% of local sites were in positive conservation management. In 2022/2023, Lambeth (90%), Hackney (88%) and Brent (79%) had the highest percentage of sites in positive conservation management, whilst Liverpool and St Helens had the lowest, 10% and 11%, respectively.
Next Update: 2025
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Household Energy Efficiency Statistics
The Energy Company Obligation and the Green Deal are two government schemes designed to improve energy efficiency in homes. In their October 2024 update, 4.0 million measures were installed in around 2.5 million properties under ECO by the end of June 2024. In Q2 2024, 89,000 measures were installed in 15,800 households, a 5% decrease from Q1 2024.
The North West (18%), Scotland (11%), and Wales (6%) reported the highest number of measures by June 2024. This data is published at regional, local authority, and parliamentary constituency levels and updated monthly.
Next Update: November 2024