The Social Mobility Commission has published its State of the Nation report, which sets out its views on the progress made towards improving social mobility in the UK. Using data about occupation, income, education, housing and wealth, the report provides the most comprehensive analysis of social mobility in the UK, highlighting key trends at a local level. The report builds further on the new Social Mobility Index by breaking the UK down to local authority level.
Findings include:
Within the UK, “extreme regional disparities exist”, with many former industrial and mining areas, such as the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands are still facing enduring disadvantages.
There are new areas outside London with favourable conditions for innovation and growth including: Brighton, Bristol, Cheshire West and Chester, Oxfordshire, Reading and West Berkshire.
There are other potential development hubs outside of London including Bristol and Manchester, which are described as ‘magnets for international businesses and highly skilled migrants.’
Almost half (48.2%) of young people aged 25 to 29 years were in professional occupations between 2022 and 2024. This is up from 36.1% between 2014 and 2016. However, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds don’t benefit as much from these opportunities as their peers.
A child’s education level still heavily depends on their parents’ background.
