Deprivation in London: Analysis of the English Indices of Deprivation 2025

London is often characterised as a city of wealth and opportunity, yet it is also home to some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England. The  English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD2025) reveal a complex picture: deprivation is widespread, intensely concentrated in certain areas and increasingly shaped by shifting housing pressures and demographic change.

Rather than being confined to one part of the capital, deprivation in London takes multiple forms, including both boroughs where disadvantage is evenly spread and boroughs with pockets of acute deprivation. Understanding these patterns is essential for targeting resources effectively and responding to emerging needs.

Different measures highlight different trends in deprivation across London

A key feature of the deprivation data is that the “most deprived borough” depends on the summary measure used. The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)  provides several complementary measures designed to capture different aspects of deprivation:

• Average rank, which highlights boroughs where deprivation is uniformly experienced
• Average score, which places greater weight on the most deprived neighbourhoods
• Extent and % in the top 10%, which capture the proportion of residents living in the most deprived areas nationally
• Local concentration, which identifies intense clusters of deprivation within boroughs

A different picture emerges depending on the lens applied:

• Newham ranks most deprived on average rank, reflecting consistently high deprivation across the borough
• Hackney ranks most deprived on average score, suggesting particularly severe deprivation in its poorest neighbourhoods
• Haringey ranks highest on measures capturing the share of residents living in highly deprived areas
• Brent experiences the highest local concentration, indicating intense hotspots of deprivation

Notably, Hackney is the only borough that appears in the top five across all five measures, underlining its persistent and multi-dimensional disadvantage.

Clusters of deprivation that cross borough boundaries

Because the IMD is designed to capture deprivation at neighbourhood level, the London-wide map reveals patterns that borough averages can obscure.

The 2025 IMD ranks show clear clusters of highly deprived neighbourhoods, particularly:

• Along the River Lea corridor, from Stamford Hill through Tottenham to Edmonton
• Across much of East London, from Whitechapel through Stratford to Barking
• In parts of Brent, including Neasden, Willesden and Harlesden
• Around the outer fringes of the city, such as New Addington, Erith, St Paul’s Cray and Southall

By contrast, deprivation is generally lower across much of suburban Outer London, particularly in large parts of the south-west and outer south.

Explore the 2025 IMD rank on an interactive map

Changing spatial patterns of deprivation

Comparisons between the 2019 and 2025 maps suggest London’s deprivation geography may be shifting.

There is evidence of deprivation becoming more visible in parts of Outer London, particularly:

• Barking and Dagenham
• Parts of outer West London along the M4/M40 corridor

At the same time, some areas closer to the Thames in Inner London appear relatively less deprived than they were in 2019.

The Most Deprived Neighbourhoods Are Not in Central London

The most deprived 10 LSOAs in London are located predominantly outside central areas.

Four of the ten most deprived neighbourhoods are in Brent, including the most deprived LSOA in London: St Raphael’s, near Neasden Station.

Haringey and Enfield also contain multiple neighbourhoods in the top ten.

Income Deprivation: Widespread and Concentrated in the East

Income deprivation remains one of the most significant challenges across London. 

• 18 of the 33 boroughs rank in the most deprived 20% nationally 
• Four of the five Local Authorities with the highest income deprivation in England are concentrated in East London
• Tower Hamlets and Hackney have the highest levels of income deprivation in London, with over 40% of residents affected
• Newham and Barking and Dagenham also rank among the five most deprived Local Authorities in England

Explore the Income domain with interactive maps

Employment Deprivation: More Localised, Especially in North London

Employment deprivation is notably less widespread.

• No London borough ranks in the most deprived 10% nationally
• Only five boroughs fall within the most deprived 20% nationally
• Employment deprivation is concentrated particularly in North London, with four of the five most deprived boroughs located North of the City of London
• Again, Hackney ranks worst in London with around 17% of working-age adults employment deprived

Explore the Employment domain with interactive maps

Education: London Performs Relatively Well

London stands out as relatively less deprived on the Education, Skills and Training domain compared to other IoD domains.

• Only Barking and Dagenham ranks within the most deprived 20% nationally
• 27 of 33 boroughs perform better than the national average

This likely reflects the capital’s highly skilled population and the relatively high performing schools.

Explore the Education, Skills and Training domain with interactive maps

Health Deprivation: Persistent Inequality in the East

The Health Deprivation and Disability domain highlights continuing health inequalities.

• Hackney records the poorest outcomes and is the only London borough ranking in the most deprived 20% nationally on this domain
• Deprivation is highest in Inner East London, with Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham and Lewisham also performing worse than the rest of the city

Explore the Health Deprivation and Disability domain with interactive maps

Crime: Widespread with concentrations in Inner East London

Crime deprivation is relatively widespread across London, with Inner East London most notably affected.

Hackney again ranks as the most deprived borough on this measure, showing overlapping challenges across multiple domains.

Explore the Crime domain with interactive maps

Barriers to Housing: A London-wide pressure

One of the most distinctive London patterns is deprivation related to housing affordability and access, reflecting the housing pressures facing much of the city.

• 15 boroughs rank in the most deprived 20% nationally
• Concentrations are especially high in North West and East London
• Brent has the highest proportion of neighbourhoods in the top 10% nationally

Explore the Barriers to Housing and Services domain with interactive maps

Living Environment: Poorest London-wide performance

London performs worse on the Living Environment domain than any other facet of deprivation.

• All boroughs rank above the national median
• 27 boroughs fall within the most deprived 20%
• The highest needs are in central London across City of London, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster

This reflects outdoor factors such as air pollution, noise and traffic accidents, alongside indoor issues like overcrowding and lack of private outdoor space.

Explore the Living Environment domain with interactive maps

Explore deprivation data (and more) for yourself

As the team that developed the English Indices of Deprivation on behalf of government in 2015, 2019 and 2025 we have plenty of experience in helping organisations make sense of the data:

Local Insight

Explore IoD 2025 data instantly for any area, alongside 1,600+ datasets. Create and share interactive maps, dashboards and reports with ease.

Want to join our community of 5000+ users? Book a demo with one of our team today. 

Indices on Demand

Get an instant IoD 2025 report for your chosen Local Authority or constituency, with benchmarks, domain insights and trends over time.

View a sample report and buy your report now. 

Bespoke analysis

Need something tailored? Our consultancy offers flexible geographies, expanded indicators and expert interpretation.

Talk to our team to discuss your needs. 

Featured posts

Data analysis

What the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2025 reveals about inequality across Wales

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the official measure of…
More

Resources and data

Pride in Place Explorer for Wales

What is the Pride in Place Explorer for Wales? The Pride in…
More

Resources and data

Pride in Place Explorer for Scotland

What is the Pride in Place Explorer for Scotland? The Pride in…
More