Mid-Year Household Estimates for Lancashire
2004

Introduction

Mid-year estimates of household numbers for England are published annually by the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG). They are produced as a complement to periodic household projections (see the related Research Monitor on Household Projections for Lancashire). The estimates are derived from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates and the DCLG household model for estimates and projections. They can be used to track projected outturns for households based on more up to date evidence of the population by age and gender. Mid-year household estimates thus provide some evidence of whether projected household numbers are becoming a reality.

Household Definition

A household comprises one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address either sharing at least one meal a day or sharing living accommodation, that is, a living or sitting room. The occupant(s) of a bedsit who do not share a sitting or living room with anyone else comprise a single household.

Results

The 2001 to 2004 annual mid-year household estimates for England as a whole and by district and local authorities in Lancashire are given in Table 1 below. It should be noted that the estimates are given to the nearest thousand. This means that the estimated numerical and percentage rates of change over the period should be taken as being indicative of the rate of change rather than precise figures.

The estimates suggest that the number of households in the Lancashire sub-region increased by about 16,000 or 2.7% between 2001 and 2004 to total 603,000. This was rather more than across the North West but approximately on a par with the England average. Lancashire contains a number of districts that are apparently recording rates of household growth well above the national average. In particular, household growth in Ribble Valley of around 9% was the sixth fastest in England with growth in Wyre (7%) and Fylde (6%) ranking them as 13th and 20th in England respectively. Much of this growth was probably the result of inward migration. Conversely, household growth across several other districts (Blackpool, Burnley and Hyndburn in particular) appears to have been negligible due either to net outward migration and/or low or negative rates of natural change allied with below average household formation rates.