The most economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the West Midlands have been highlighted in a newly released national deprivation index. Druids Heath, located east of Alcester Road South in Birmingham, ranks as the 81st most deprived area among over 33,750 small local regions across England, marking it the poorest in both the city and the West Midlands region.
Druids Heath stands out as the only West Midlands neighbourhood within the top 100 most deprived, earning it the unfortunate distinction as the region’s poverty epicenter. Residents here face daily challenges, struggling to secure enough food and meet basic living needs.
This comprehensive ranking, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, evaluates neighbourhoods using measures including income, employment, education, health, crime rates, housing quality, and local environment. These latest figures represent the first update since 2019 and reflect the significant socioeconomic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on communities.
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Several other Birmingham areas feature prominently on the list of the 20 most deprived locations in Birmingham and the Black Country:
- Druids Heath (Birmingham) – 81
- Frankley (Birmingham) – 114
- Winson Green & Gib Heath (Birmingham) – 117
- Handsworth South (Birmingham) – 135
- Aston Park (Birmingham) – 136
- Sparkbrook North (Birmingham) – 157
- Tibbington (Sandwell) – 172
- Brookvale (Birmingham) – 177
- Balsall Heath East (Birmingham) – 194
- Summerfield (Birmingham) – 202
- Heath Town (Wolverhampton) – 218
- Birchfield East (Birmingham) – 227
- Bushbury Hill (Wolverhampton) – 255
- Bloxwich South (Walsall) – 272
- Hawkesley (Birmingham) – 309
- Sparkbrook North (Birmingham) – 310
- Buckland End (Birmingham) – 314
- Stechford (Birmingham) – 315
- Middlemore (Birmingham) – 322
- Sparkbrook South (Birmingham) – 325
Nationally, the most deprived area in England is located in Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea, within Nigel Farage’s former parliamentary constituency. The next five poorest areas are all in Blackpool. Conversely, the least deprived parts of England include areas such as St Albans.