Introduction
The East Midlands covers an area of 15,600 km2, six percent of the total UK. The region includes the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland, and the cities of Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Northampton and Nottingham.
This page outlines key statistics about the region and brings together a range of resources and publications.
Population
The UK ONS mid-year population estimates for 2023 show that the population of the East Midlands grew to 4.99 million in 2023, representing 7.2 percent of the UK population.
The region is the 3rd most rural of the English regions, with 29.5 percent of the population living in rural settlements. The three largest cities, Leicester, Nottingham and Derby, had a population of around 1.16 million in 2023.
Life expectancy at birth in the East Midlands has risen from 73.7 years for males and 79 years for females in 1991-93 to 79.1 years for males and 82.9 years for females by 2010-12.
Qualifications
The population of the East Midlands has lower levels of qualifications compared to the rest of the UK with 30.1 percent of the region qualified to NVQ Level 4 and above, compared to 35 percent of the UK, according to the ONS annual population survey.
Labour
The labour force is around 74.6 percent of the population within the East Midlands region, 0.4 percent lower than the UK average. Of these, 75.5 percent were in employment and 3.7 percent were unemployed according to the Office of National Statistics for year ending December 2023.
Salary
Gross weekly pay in the East Midlands is below the UK average with full time workers in the region earning £647 a week compared to £728 in the UK. Full time male workers in the region earn on average £106.30 a week more than their female counterparts, higher than the UK where male full time workers earn £95.90 a week more than female counterparts.
Unemployment
The employment rate for the East Midlands from September to December 2024 was 75 percent, down 0.3 percent on the previous quarter. When calculated as the claimant count plus workforce jobs total, this was 5.1 percent, higher than the UK at 4.4 percent. Around 56,800 people were receiving job seekers allowance in the region in November 2024.
When calculated as the claimant count plus work force jobs total, this was 5.1% higher than the U.K. at 4.4%. The number of thoose described as NEET (not in education, employment or training) in the East Midlands was 987,000 in 2024, according to the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Businesses
Micro enterprises dominate the East Midlands business structure with 162,195 businesses employing between zero and nine workers. Small businesses employing 10 to 49 workers make up 217,240 in 2022.
Job density in the East Midlands, the ratio of total jobs to population aged 16 to 64 was 0.79, compared to 0.95 in the UK as a whole.
Housing
The average house in the region cost £242,000 in 2024, up 5.2 percent on the previous year, in contrast with England and Wales where the average house price was £268,000 in 2024, up 4.6 percent on the previous year. The average price in England was around £290,000, while in Wales was £208,000 and in Scotland £189,000.
Migrant and BME communities
The non-UK born population of the region was 16.8 percent in 2024. The BME population of the region is 14.3 percent making it the third most ethnically diverse in England.
Deprivation
According to the English Indices of Deprivation 2010, the region is the fourth most deprived region in the country, behind Yorkshire and Humber and ahead of the West Midlands.
Health
East Midland’s residents have slightly poorer health than the national average and are more likely to suffer circulatory diseases, accidents, obesity or suicide than the national average but have lower than average mortality from cancer.
Voluntary and community sector
There are approximately 400 third sector support (infrastructure) organisations within the East Midlands operating at both local and regional level. These organisations are diverse in their nature and objectives and collectively support a wider network of approximately 35,000 front line organisations which in turn reflect the needs and diversity of the communities across the region.
There are 10,782 voluntary organisations in the East Midlands, 2.4 to every 1,000 people, which have a total income of £1.5 billion and total funds of £2.7 billion.