The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has released the English Indices of Deprivation 2015 (ID2015), which updates the 2010 indices of the same name. The indices are combined together to form the composite Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).
The IMD measures relative deprivation across small areas of England called Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). Datasets come from 2015, 2010 and 2007. Whilst historical datasets can be compared, there are caveats:
• LSOA definitions have changed between the 2015 and 2010 releases. As such, some locations will not be comparable at all.
• The variables used to define each indices of deprivation have been updated with each publication. As such, changes in apparent deprivation may reflect these changes in methodology rather than actual changes in local circumstance.
Compared to 2010, four out of the five Cambridgeshire districts now rank as more deprived nationally; Cambridge City ranks as less deprived.
Cambridgeshire now (in IMD 2015) has 16 LSOAs in the 20% most deprived nationally – this is compared to 9 in 2010. Two are in Cambridge City, two are in Huntingdonshire and 12 are in Fenland. Four Fenland LSOAs are in the 10% most deprived nationally.
As with 2007 and 2010, Fenland has the highest levels of deprivation in Cambridgeshire, followed by Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire then South Cambridgeshire.
Linked below are:
• IMD2015 data for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• Map of IMD2015 national rankings for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• IMD2010 and 2007 data for Cambridgeshire.