Inequalities

The English Indices of Deprivation (IMD) were updated in 2025.  The deprivation pages of this website are being updated accordingly and are not currently available to view. 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a statistical release summarising of the main findings from the 2025 IMD, which can be accessed via the link below:

English indices of deprivation 2025: statistical release

In addition, ONS has produced an interactive tool enabling users to view the 2025 statistics on deprivation in their local area including the 2025 IMD data, which can be accessed via the link below:

Deprivation in England

If you require any further information or assistance regarding the latest IMD data, please email researchteam@herefordshire.gov.uk.

Reducing inequalities means giving everyone the same opportunities to lead a healthy and fulfilling life, no matter where they live or who they are.  Currently, in England, people living in the least deprived areas of the country live around 20 years longer in good health than people in the most deprived areas.  Inequalities exist across a range of dimensions, such as socio-economic deprivation and personal characteristics like age and sex.  

Herefordshire has, on average, relatively low levels of overall, multiple deprivation and similar proportions of children living in relatively income deprived households as nationally and slightly lower proportion living in absolute low-income families.

In 2023-24, 21.3% of children under 16 in Herefordshire (6,423 children) were living in relative low-income families; a lower proportion to England (22.1%) and the West Midlands as a whole (29.2%). However, this proportion has increased from 19.8% in 2022/23.  18.1% of children (5,448 children) were living in absolute low-income families, lower than in England (19.1%) and the West Midlands (25.5%).  However, this proportion has increased from 16.1% in 2022-23.

It is important to note though that these figures do not take account of housing costs.  

Data published by the charity End Child Poverty suggest that after taking account of housing costs, in 2023-24, 30.9% of children in Herefordshire were living in poverty; down from 33.8% in 2022-23, similar to England (31%) but less than the West Midlands region (36%).  This equated to around 10,700 children in Herefordshire living in poverty. [1]

Herefordshire is one of England's most rural counties and rural areas pose different types of challenges for the people who live there compared to urban areas. Nationally, more emphasis is often given to urban inequalities, not least as across England the majority of the population live in urban areas, but also our common measure of deprivation (the IMD) is known to be skewed towards identifying deprivation in an urban context.  Rural deprivation looks very different.  In rural areas, the most common types of deprivation relate to housing and physical access to services.  Furthermore, deprivation can be a hidden feature of rural communities as it is often dispersed amongst more affluent households. Within even the most affluent areas, there can be pockets of real hardship, ill health and inequality.  These themes are explored in detail in the Director of Public Health's Annual Report, which can be viewed via 'useful links'.

[1] Local Child Poverty Statistics 2024, End Child Poverty.