Poverty and deprivation statistics

The latest Census 2021 data on deprived households in Oxford show that:

Over half of the households in Oxford (28,832) do not experience any dimension of deprivation and just under a third of the households in Oxford experience at least 1 dimension of deprivation (1,767 residents).
Approximately 0.3% of households in Oxford experienced all 4 dimensions of deprivation.

English Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025

In 2025, Oxford is now relatively less deprived in the domains of ‘health, deprivation and disability’, ‘barriers to housing and services’, ‘living environment’, ‘income’, ‘income deprivation affecting children’ and ‘employment’ indexes
There are now 21 areas of Oxford that are in the top 10% least deprived areas for the country - an increase from 12 in 2019. Within this, three areas of Oxford (parts of Headington, Jericho and North Oxford) are within the top 2% least deprived areas across the country, and one area (in Headington) is in the 1% least deprived
Northfield Brook remains in the top 10% most deprived areas in the country, and a second area in Northfield Brook is now in the top 10% most deprived, having been in the top 20% most deprived since 2019
Four areas are now in the 20% most deprived in the country, fewer than the nine in 2019. These are: two areas in Blackbird Leys, one area in Littlemore, and Rose Hill. Areas that have moved out of the 20% most deprived areas of the country are: Barton and Sandhills, an area in Blackbird Leys, an area of Northfield Brook, Rose Hill and Iffley, and Carfax
There are no longer any areas of Barton that are in the 10% or 20% most deprived areas of England

Download the Indices of Deprivation 2025 Oxford report

English Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019

According to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, 10 of Oxford's 83 neighbourhood areas ('Super Output Areas') are among the 20% most deprived areas in England. These areas, which are in the Leys, Rose Hill, Littlemore, Barton and areas of the city, experience multiple levels of deprivation – low skills, low incomes and relatively high levels of crime.

Men and women living in relatively deprived areas have a shorter life expectancy than those living in the least deprived areas. For more information see our Health statistics page.

After adjusting for housing costs, 26% of children in Oxford live below the poverty line. According to the Indices of Depreviation 2019 rates of child poverty have reduced in the most deprived neighbourhoods but there remain six Oxford neighbourhoods with child poverty rates over 30% (Indices of Deprivation 2019 on GOV.UK).

Claimant count

In March 2023 Oxford had 2,710 (2.3%) working–age residents claiming unemployment benefits (Jobseeker's Allowances or Universal Credit claimants who are out of work), 60% men and 40% women. The rate for March 2023 is now lower than the rate for the same period last year (2.6%) and is still below the national and regional rates of 2.9% and 3.8% respectively. Latest figures on the number of benefit claimants