Lower Willingdon, East Sussex

We have collated a series of socio-economic statistics for Lower Willingdon in Eastbourne from UK government sources such as the 2021 Census and the Index of Multiple Deprivation. They should give you a broad snapshot of the area and the surrounding locations. Are the residents of Lower Willingdon older than the national average or younger? What is the population of Lower Willingdon and Eastbourne? Is Lower Willingdon an unemployment hotspot? This page should provide you with the answers.

Lower Willingdon Health Statistics

Ratton has a significantly lower proportion of residents (>5%) describing their health as very good than the national average for England.
Area VG G F B VB
Ratton 42.7% 35.57% 15.58% 4.66% 1.49%
Eastbourne 43.23% 35.25% 15.25% 4.86% 1.42%
South East 49.98% 34.01% 11.77% 3.31% 0.93%
England 48.49% 33.71% 12.65% 3.98% 1.17%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

How has the health of residents in Eastbourne changed since 2011?

Eastbourne residents who describe their health as either good or very good has increased by 0.01% between the 2011 and 2021 census.
Year VG G F B VB
2011 43.07% 35.4% 15.34% 4.74% 1.45%
2021 43.23% 35.25% 15.25% 4.86% 1.42%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

Lower Willingdon Education Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census to found of the level of education Lower Willingdon residents have in terms of formal qualifications as a percentage. The UK government breaks qualifications down into 7 levels. A detailed explanation of these levels can be found here. However, the Census groups these into just 4 \'levels\'. Here are some examples of the qualifications each census level represents when not stated;

  • Level 1 - GCSE grades D, E, F, or G & below
  • Level 2 - GCSE A*, A, B, C or O Level grades A, B or C
  • Level 3 - A or AS qualification at any grade
  • Level 4 - HNC, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree or Phd

In this first table we have compared Lower Willingdon to the national average for England.
Level Ratton England
No Qualifications 17.14% 18.08%
Level 1 10.56% 9.69%
Level 2 13.52% 13.32%
Apprenticeship 6.57% 5.32%
Level 3 15.93% 16.92%
Level 4 32.88% 33.92%

How many residents own or rent their home in Lower Willingdon and Eastbourne

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census and calculated what proportion of people in Lower Willingdon either own or rent their home. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. 78.4 of residents own their home either outright or mortgaged. 21.6 of Lower Willingdon residents rent their home either privately or through a social landlord.
Area Owned Rented
Ratton 78.4% 21.6%
Eastbourne 59.7% 40.3%
South East 65.66% 34.34%
England 61.31% 38.69%

Lower Willingdon has a significantly higher level of home ownership than the national average. This is indicative or an economically wealthy area.

Lower Willingdon compared to other wards in Eastbourne

# Ward Owned Rented
1 Ratton 78.4% 21.6%
2 Old Town (Eastbourne) 73.96% 26.04%
3 St Anthony's 69.92% 30.08%
4 Sovereign 68.34% 31.66%
5 Meads 58.93% 41.07%
6 Langney 57.09% 42.91%
7 Upperton 53.51% 46.49%
8 Hampden Park 48.48% 51.52%
9 Devonshire 38.85% 61.15%
Lower Willingdon is ranked 1 out of 9 wards in Eastbourne for the percentage of home owners.

Lower Willingdon & Eastbourne Immigration Statistics

We have analysed the Census 2021 raw data on country of birth and compiled immigration statistics as percentages of the population. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. Below are the figures for Lower Willingdon in the Eastbourne local area district.

Lower Willingdon has a lower rate of immigrants than Eastbourne, the South East region and England as a whole.
Area Born in UK Born outside UK
Ratton 87.59% 12.41%
Eastbourne 84.8% 15.2%
South East 84.24% 15.76%
England 82.65% 17.35%

Lower Willingdon compared to other wards in Eastbourne

# Ward Born in UK Born outside UK
1 Devonshire 72.23% 27.77%
2 Meads 78.72% 21.28%
3 Upperton 80.77% 19.23%
4 Ratton 87.59% 12.41%
5 Sovereign 87.79% 12.21%
6 Old Town 89.37% 10.63%
7 Hampden Park 89.78% 10.22%
8 St Anthony's 90.14% 9.86%
9 Langney 90.88% 9.12%
'; Lower Willingdon is ranked 4 out of 9 wards in Eastbourne for the number of residents born outside of the UK.

Lower Willingdon Age Distribution Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 Census and the calculated the proportion of age groups in Ratton.
Age Band Proportion
4 & under
5 - 9 years
10 - 15 years
16 - 19 years
20 - 24 years
25 - 34 years
35 - 49 years
50 - 64 years
65 - 74 years
75 - 84 years
85 years & over

What are the occupations of the residents of Lower Willingdon?

The largest employment sector in Lower Willingdon is Professional Occupations. The smallest employment sector is Process Plant & Machine Operatives.
Sector Proportion
Professional Occupations 23.28%
Managers, Directors & Senior Officials 13.6%
Associate Professional & Technical 12.08%
Caring, leisure & Other Services 12.03%
Skilled Trades 10.51%
Administrative & Secretarial 10.06%
Elementary Occupations 8.2%
Process Plant & Machine Operatives 4.44%

Lower Willingdon Unemployment Statistics

Since the introduction of Universal Credit, The Department for Work & Pensions have not issued any statistics (in our view) that can be used to ascertain the levels of unemployment or under employment in the UK, just meaningless geographic counts. However, the Office of National Statistics does publish claimant counts of people receiving out of work benefits, be that legacy Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit as a proportion of people over 16. These figures are usually updated once a month and are for Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authority Districts. So below are the figures of Eastbourne.
Area Unemployed Yearly Change
Eastbourne 4.6% -0.8%
South East 2.9% -0.3%
England 3.8% -0.3%
UK 3.7% -0.3%
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Last Retrieved: March 2023
The 2021 census had data on people who were economically active (seeking work) yet unemployed on Census day (Sunday March 21st 2021). These statitics do cover Lower Willingdon on a ward level. However, it has to be noted that the Census day was during the height of the Covid19 pandemic and therefore are not reflective of normal levels of unemployment. For example, between March 2020 and June 2020 people claiming Universal Credit doubled in most areas of the United Kingdom and then steadily declined up to the day of the Census and beyond. This data also contains the proportion of people in part-time work (working between 1-35 hours per week), which maybe an indicator of under employment in Lower Willingdon.
Economic Status Proportion
In Employment 46.2%
In Part-Time Work 32.73%
Unemployed 3.88%
67.27% of the people in work, are in full-time employment in Lower Willingdon

What is the population of Lower Willingdon and Eastbourne?

The table below contains the populations figures for each ward in Eastbourne including Lower Willingdon. These population ONS figures are estimated are dated Mid 2020.

Ward Population
Devonshire 14460
Hampden Park 11019
Langney 10658
Meads 11769
Old Town 11204
Ratton 9672
Sovereign 12477
St Anthony's 11426
Upperton 10639
Eastbourne Total 103324



Last updated: 20/02/2024, Additional Sources: Office for National Statistics & Department for Work & Pensions.

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