English Indices of Deprivation 2015

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) released the English Indices of Deprivation 2015 on 30 September 2015. Last published in 2010, the Indices of Deprivation provide a set of relative measures of deprivation for small geographical areas (called Lower-layer Super Output Areas or LSOAs) across England. LSOAs are designed to be of a similar population size, with an average of approximately 1,500 residents or 650 households and, generally, cover a smaller geographical area than ward boundaries. There are 67 LSOAs in the Dover district. 

Deprivation is multi-dimensional and includes a general lack of resources and opportunities as well as a lack of income. To reflect this, the Indices of Deprivation are based on a range of indicators, organised across seven distinct types of deprivation or 'domains'. These are:   

      1.  Income Deprivation 

      2.  Employment Deprivation 

      3.  Education, Skills and Training Deprivation 

      4.  Health Deprivation and Disability 

      5.  Crime 

      6.  Barriers to Housing and Services 

      7.  Living Environment Deprivation 

There are also two Supplementary Indices:

• Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (aged 0-15 years) and
• Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (aged 60 plus years

The seven domains above combine to create the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). 

The Indices of Deprivation ranks each small area in England from the most to the least deprived. The LSOAs are then divided into 10 equal groups called ‘deciles’. LSOAs in Decile 1 fall within the most deprived 10% nationally. LSOAs in Decile 10 fall within the least deprived 10% nationally.

There is no definitive threshold above which an area can be described as ‘deprived’ and the Indices of Deprivation are a continuous scale of deprivation. It is often taken to be the most deprived 10% or 20% of LSOAs as the group of highly deprived areas.

A geographical area itself is not deprived – it is the circumstances and lifestyles of the people living there that affect its deprivation score. It is also important to remember that not everyone living in a deprived area is deprived – and that not all deprived people live in deprived areas. 

Although referred to as the 2015 Indices, the base data for the indicators used mostly relate to the tax year 2012/13. Therefore, the indicators do not take into account any policy changes that have occurred since the time points used. For example welfare reform implemented nationally or local regeneration projects.

The information from the Indices of Deprivation helps councils, and other public bodies, identify the most disadvantaged areas so that resources and funding are allocated appropriately.