Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data

17 NOVEMBER 2023
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Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data (IMD)

The Index of Multiple Deprivation Data (IMD) measures relative and collective deprivation across neighbourhoods in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each nation uses unique domains and indicators tailored to its specific socioeconomic context, allowing governments to allocate resources and design policies effectively to tackle local deprivation.

Overview by Nation
  • England: IMD is calculated using seven weighted domains: Income, Employment, Education, Health, Crime, Barriers to Housing and Services, and Living Environment. England’s IMD ranks 32,844 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs), with 1 being the most deprived.
  • Scotland: The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) uses seven domains and ranks 6,976 Data Zones, Scotland’s equivalent to LSOAs.
  • Wales: The Welsh IMD incorporates eight domains, such as Income, Employment, Health, Education, and Access to Services, ranking 1,909 LSOAs.
  • Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland’s IMD ranks 890 LSOAs using seven domains, including Income, Employment, Health and Disability, Education, Access to Services, Living Environment, and Crime.

Each index reflects local conditions, and rankings allow policymakers to focus on the most deprived areas while recognising variations within affluent or deprived communities.

Recent Updates and Legislation
  • The Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data 2024 Update for England includes adjustments to reflect changing socioeconomic factors such as post-pandemic recovery and digital access disparities.
  • Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 provides additional funding and targeted policies for addressing deprivation in lower-ranked areas.
  • Wales’ Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data 2023 Review introduced a new sub-domain for climate resilience, reflecting the growing importance of environmental factors in assessing deprivation.
Key Use Cases
  • Policy Design: Supports equitable resource distribution across health, education, and housing sectors.
  • Research and Analysis: Offers robust data for academic studies and NGO reports on socioeconomic inequality.
  • Community Investment: Helps businesses identify underserved markets and opportunities for impact-driven initiatives.
Frequently Asked Questions

What are Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data?

Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Data are datasets that measure and rank relative deprivation across small geographical areas. They combine multiple dimensions of deprivation—such as income, employment, health, education, crime, housing & services, and living environment—into a single score for neighbourhoods

What does “multiple deprivation” mean in this context?

“Multiple deprivation” means that deprivation is not only about low income but involves several interlinked aspects of disadvantage. The IMD approach looks at many indicators (e.g. unemployment, poor health, poor housing, lack of education) so that areas are assessed in a broader sense—not just economically

What geographic units are used in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data?

The data are typically calculated for small areas known as Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in England (each covering ~1,500 people). Larger geographies like local authorities, wards, or regions also derive summary measures based on aggregation of those small-area data.

How are areas ranked and interpreted in IMD Data?

Each area gets a score (based on the weighted indicators), which is compared against all other areas to produce a rank. Lower ranks mean more deprived (e.g. rank 1 = most deprived). Areas are often grouped into deciles or percentiles so users can see, for example, which 10% of neighbourhoods are most deprived. The data are relative, meaning that they show how areas compare rather than giving an absolute measure of deprivation.

What are some uses and limitations of Indices of Multiple Deprivation Data?

IMD Data are used for policymaking, resource allocation, public health interventions, targeting funding, research into health and social inequalities, and planning by local authorities. Limitations include the fact that they are published only periodically (so may lag behind current conditions), they provide area-level rather than individual-level deprivation (so not all people in a deprived area are deprived and vice versa), and differences in methodology over time or between nations may make trend comparisons or cross-country comparisons tricky.

Get all the Data from One Source

For more detailed insights into local areas, explore our Geodemographics data product which provides extensive demographic information linked to postcodes across the whole of the UK. Book a Demo.

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