English Index of Multiple Deprivation

Definition

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is the UK government’s official measure of relative deprivation in England. It ranks small areas (LSOAs) based on seven domains of deprivation:

• Income
• Employment
• Education, Skills, and Training
• Health and Disability
• Crime
• Barriers to Housing and Services
• Living Environment

The IMD provides a composite ranking of deprivation, highlighting the most disadvantaged areas in England, and helping identify pockets of deprivation in otherwise affluent areas.

Also known as

IMD, Index of Deprivation

Relevance to OCSI

OCSI contributed to the development and refinement of the Index of Multiple Deprivation in 2015, 2019, and we are currently helping with the 2025 measure. It remains a cornerstone dataset underpinning Local Insight and other OCSI research projects, and is the most widely used measure of deprivation in the UK, directing billions in public spending annually.

Related links and examples

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019-technical-report
• https://ocsi.uk/indices-of-deprivation/

Featured posts

Case studies

The Welsh Community Assets Index and the Welsh Community Resilience Index – Measures of Community Need in Wales

In Wales many areas face dual challenges, lacking accessible local assets like…
More

Data analysis

Exploring Scotland’s Census 2022 data at a small-area level

We’re happy to announce that data from Scotland’s Census 2022 is now…
More

Research Projects

Developing a measure of Hyper-local Need: neighbourhood level data to inform Labour’s key missions

The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) was created in September to examine…
More