Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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Chapter 2 – An overview of social exclusion
Population growth
The region has the fastest growing population in England, fuelled by a combination of indigenous growth
and net in-migration from London. The age structure is typical of England, although there are intra-regional
variations, with Tendring and North Norfolk ranking in the top ten local authority districts for people aged 65
and over (Census 2001).
Ageing
The population is ageing, with wide ranging socio-economic implications for the region that has the second
highest number of pensioner households living in poverty. 50% of the regional population is expected to be
over 50 by 2020 (The Implications of an Ageing Population for the Sustainable Development of the East of
England, Population Ageing Associates, 2003). Of these it is estimated that 60% will either be disabled or
a carer for a disabled person before retirement age. Effectively this equates to one third of the region’s
population (1.8 million people). The Eastern Region Public Health Observatory (ERPHO) estimates that
60% of all local authorities in the region will experience an increase of up to 4% in their dependency ratio
between 1998 and 2008. The dependency ratio quantifies the relationship between the economically
active part of the population and the non-economically active, or ‘dependent’, part of the population.
Population frailty
The 2001 census indicated that some 23% of the regional population either has ill health or long-term
medical conditions. As the population ages that trend is likely to increase.
Living alone
The census also indicated that in 2001 38% of the adult population in the region lived alone. This is an
increasing long-term social trend and has implications in terms of health, housing, well-being and social
inclusion and the long-term provision of social care in the increasing absence of family support structures.
Diversity
While the Black and minority ethnic (BME) population is relatively low, it is concentrated in particular areas,
eg Luton with a BME population of 28%. There are also significant numbers of isolated groups in rural areas.
There may be undercounting of minority ethnic communities, eg a large number of migrant workers, primarily
connected with the agricultural industry, who do not appear on census or other official statistical data. A recent
Gypsy Caravan Count showed the East of England region to have the highest number of caravans at 3,889,
representing 24% of the England total (Gypsy Caravan Count, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – ODPM, 2006).
Poverty
There are as many households living in poverty in the region as are to be found in other ‘deprived’ parts of
the country, indeed as many as in the North East region. In addition, the social and economic features of the
region have contributed to a rise in over-indebtedness. Pockets of deprivation exist in some rural, coastal and
urban areas. Structural changes including the loss of an estimated 60,000 jobs in agriculture, the closure
of important industries and the decline of seaside towns are all contributing factors. The problems are often
obscured by averaged district level data and it is therefore important to look beyond the headline statistics
in any analysis of social exclusion.