Autonomy Data Unit
Deprivation across England,
measured every year.
The Annual Deprivation Index tracks absolute rates of deprivation across three domains (employment, crime and health) every year from 2014 to 2025, at four geographic levels. It complements the government's Index of Multiple Deprivation, which ranks areas only every few years.
Questions or feedback? lukas@autonomy.work
National trends
Employment · England
A decade of claimant rates, and the pandemic shock the IMD missed
| Year | Claimant rate |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1.53% |
| 2015 | 1.15% |
| 2016 | 1.12% |
| 2017 | 1.16% |
| 2018 | 1.32% |
| 2019 | 1.67% |
| 2020 | 3.37% |
| 2021 | 3.46% |
| 2022 | 2.4% |
| 2023 | 2.29% |
| 2024 | 2.49% |
| 2025 | 2.52% |
Claimant Count rate (JSA plus the relevant UC component), England. The IMD published three snapshots (2015, 2019, 2025) across this period.
Employment · 2025
By region
Three domains
Local deprivation and the IMD
Highest claimant rates · 2025
Most-deprived local authorities
| Local authority | Claimant rate |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | 6.6% |
| Newham | 5.6% |
| Haringey | 5.4% |
| Tower Hamlets | 5.2% |
| Brent | 5.2% |
| Hackney | 5.2% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 5.0% |
| Lewisham | 4.9% |
ADI's contribution
Absolute, not just relative
Between 2015 and 2019, 44% of local authorities saw their IMD ranking "improve" while their actual claimant rate rose: they only improved relative to areas that worsened faster. The ADI makes that deterioration visible to policymakers.
See how the ADI complements the IMD →