New Forest residents healthier than average says Office for National Statistics

PEOPLE living in the New Forest tend to be healthier than those living in the rest of England and Wales, according to official government data.

A 2021 survey of national park residents by the Office for National Statistics shows 56.5% of Forest residents are in “very good” health compared with 47.5% living outside national parks in the rest of England and Wales.

At the other end of the scale just 2.3% of Forest residents reported they were in bad health, compared to 4.2% in the rest of England and Wales.

The report said: “National park residents tended to be in better health than those elsewhere.

“The age-standardised proportions (ASPs) of people who reported that they were in “very good” health was higher in every national park than it was elsewhere in England and Wales.

“The highest proportions were in the New Forest at 56.5% and the Yorkshire Dales at 55.2% in England, and Eryri at 53.3% in Wales.

“Correspondingly, the ASPs of people who reported being in “very bad” or “bad” health was lower in every national park than it was elsewhere in England.”

The census shows the population of the New Forest national park has dipped slightly, from 34,922 people in 2011, to 34,166 in 2021.

The report found national park residents aged 16 and above were “more likely to be retired than those elsewhere”.

Some 37% of New Forest residents are employed, compared with 47.7% in the rest of England and Wales, while 13.3% of Forest residents are self-employed, compared with 9.5% in England and Wales.

The report added: “National park residents tended to be older on average than the population elsewhere. The median age was higher in every national park, ranging from 49 years in the South Downs to 57 years in the Broads, than it was in other parts of England, which was 39 years, and Wales, which was 41 years.”

The report continued to say the New Forest national park has one of the highest populations of residents aged 90 or above at 2.1%.

The report showed the percentage of households living in detached properties was “much higher” in national parks, ranging from 39.3% in the Lake District to 67.7% in the New Forest. These figures compare with just 22.8% elsewhere in England and 28% for Wales.

The report said: “Far fewer households in national parks were in a purpose-built block of flats or tenement.

“Households in national parks were also more likely to own their property outright, ranging from 41.9% in Northumberland to 54.3% in the New Forest, than those in other parts of England at 32.4% and in Wales at 37.7%.

“In both England and Wales, each national park had a higher proportion of households with three or more bedrooms than other parts of England at 61% and Wales at 68.5%. The highest proportion in England was in the New Forest at 75.7%.”

National parks also tend to be less ethnically diverse than other areas, the report showed. Just 1.1% of the Forest’s population is Asian or British Asian, compared with 9.7% in the rest of England outside national parks.

ONS data shows the Forest’s population is 0.2% black British, African or Caribbean, compared with 4.2% of people in the rest of England outside of national parks.

The New Forest has 1.3% population of mixed or multiple ethnicity, compared with 3% in England outside the national parks.

The ONS data shows the number of people with a “level 4” qualification – a bachelor’s degree, HND, or equivalent – was higher in every national park than elsewhere in England and Wales.

The report showed that 34.9% of New Forest residents held such a qualification, compared with 36.6% in the Peak District, and 27.6% outside of national parks in the rest of England.