We have collated a series of socio-economic statistics for Lowestoft in East Suffolk 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 Lowestoft older than the national average or younger? What is the population of Lowestoft and East Suffolk? Is Lowestoft an unemployment hotspot? This page should provide you with the answers.
Lowestoft & East Suffolk 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 Lowestoft in the East Suffolk local area district.
Lowestoft has a lower rate of immigrants than East Suffolk, the East of England region and England as a whole.| Area | Born in UK | Born outside UK |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkley & Pakefield | 94.13% | 5.87% |
| East Suffolk | 94.04% | 5.96% |
| East | 85.09% | 14.91% |
| England | 82.65% | 17.35% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft compared to other wards in East Suffolk
| # | Ward | Born in UK | Born outside UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Felixstowe | 90.6% | 9.4% |
| 2 | Kesgrave | 91.38% | 8.62% |
| 3 | Western Felixstowe | 91.73% | 8.27% |
| 4 | Rushmere St Andrew | 91.92% | 8.08% |
| 5 | Deben | 91.95% | 8.05% |
| 6 | Martlesham & Purdis Farm | 92.06% | 7.94% |
| 7 | Rendlesham & Orford | 92.42% | 7.58% |
| 8 | Woodbridge | 92.51% | 7.49% |
| 9 | Harbour & Normanston | 93.05% | 6.95% |
| 10 | Bungay & Wainford | 93.39% | 6.61% |
| 11 | Aldeburgh & Leiston | 93.66% | 6.34% |
| 12 | Framlingham | 93.76% | 6.24% |
| 13 | Melton | 94.03% | 5.97% |
| 14 | Saxmundham | 94.07% | 5.93% |
| 15 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 94.13% | 5.87% |
| 16 | Orwell & Villages | 94.29% | 5.71% |
| 17 | Southwold | 94.3% | 5.7% |
| 18 | Wrentham, Wangford & Westleton | 94.81% | 5.19% |
| 19 | Carlford & Fynn Valley | 95.01% | 4.99% |
| 20 | Kelsale & Yoxford | 95.17% | 4.83% |
| 21 | Wickham Market | 95.2% | 4.8% |
| 22 | Lothingland | 95.63% | 4.37% |
| 23 | Halesworth & Blything | 95.9% | 4.1% |
| 24 | Beccles & Worlingham | 95.98% | 4.02% |
| 25 | Carlton & Whitton | 96.42% | 3.58% |
| 26 | Gunton & St Margarets | 96.48% | 3.52% |
| 27 | Oulton Broad | 96.49% | 3.51% |
| 28 | Kessingland | 96.86% | 3.14% |
| 29 | Carlton Colville | 96.88% | 3.12% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft Education Statistics
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census to found of the level of education Lowestoft 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
| Level | Kirkley & Pakefield | England |
|---|---|---|
| No Qualifications | 24.4% | 18.08% |
| Level 1 | 12.19% | 9.69% |
| Level 2 | 14.75% | 13.32% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.81% | 5.32% |
| Level 3 | 16.82% | 16.92% |
| Level 4 | 20.8% | 33.92% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft Health Statistics
Kirkley & Pakefield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkley & Pakefield | 37.97% | 35.65% | 18.54% | 6.29% | 1.55% |
| East Suffolk | 43.33% | 35.97% | 14.98% | 4.53% | 1.2% |
| East | 48.28% | 34.64% | 12.5% | 3.58% | 1% |
| England | 48.49% | 33.71% | 12.65% | 3.98% | 1.17% |
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft Age Distribution Statistics
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 Census and the calculated the proportion of age groups in Kirkley & Pakefield.| 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 | |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
What are the occupations of the residents of Lowestoft?
The largest employment sector in Lowestoft is Caring, leisure & Other Services. The smallest employment sector is Administrative & Secretarial.| Sector | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Caring, leisure & Other Services | 14.04% |
| Professional Occupations | 12.83% |
| Skilled Trades | 12.83% |
| Elementary Occupations | 12.42% |
| Process Plant & Machine Operatives | 10.36% |
| Associate Professional & Technical | 9.95% |
| Managers, Directors & Senior Officials | 9.15% |
| Administrative & Secretarial | 8.05% |
How many residents own or rent their home in Lowestoft and East Suffolk
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census and calculated what proportion of people in Lowestoft either own or rent their home. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. 59.96 of residents own their home either outright or mortgaged. 40.04 of Lowestoft residents rent their home either privately or through a social landlord.| Area | Owned | Rented |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkley & Pakefield | 59.96% | 40.04% |
| East Suffolk | 68.88% | 31.12% |
| East | 65.23% | 34.77% |
| England | 61.31% | 38.69% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft has a lower level of home ownership than than the national average.
Lowestoft compared to other wards in East Suffolk
| # | Ward | Owned | Rented |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rushmere St Andrew | 92.42% | 7.58% |
| 2 | Carlford & Fynn Valley | 80.59% | 19.41% |
| 3 | Martlesham & Purdis Farm | 80.3% | 19.7% |
| 4 | Carlton Colville | 78.08% | 21.92% |
| 5 | Orwell & Villages | 77.17% | 22.83% |
| 6 | Kesgrave | 76.68% | 23.32% |
| 7 | Oulton Broad | 76.65% | 23.35% |
| 8 | Lothingland (East Suffolk) | 76.54% | 23.46% |
| 9 | Southwold | 71.98% | 28.02% |
| 10 | Wrentham, Wangford & Westleton | 71.66% | 28.34% |
| 11 | Melton | 71.45% | 28.55% |
| 12 | Eastern Felixstowe | 71.26% | 28.74% |
| 13 | Framlingham | 71.11% | 28.89% |
| 14 | Kessingland | 70.93% | 29.07% |
| 15 | Carlton & Whitton | 70.43% | 29.57% |
| 16 | Halesworth & Blything | 70.23% | 29.77% |
| 17 | Kelsale & Yoxford | 70.19% | 29.81% |
| 18 | Rendlesham & Orford | 69.83% | 30.17% |
| 19 | Wickham Market | 69.07% | 30.93% |
| 20 | Deben | 68.73% | 31.27% |
| 21 | Bungay & Wainford | 68.13% | 31.87% |
| 22 | Beccles & Worlingham | 67.82% | 32.18% |
| 23 | Woodbridge | 67.76% | 32.24% |
| 24 | Gunton & St Margarets | 67.19% | 32.81% |
| 25 | Aldeburgh & Leiston | 66.59% | 33.41% |
| 26 | Kirkley & Pakefield | 59.96% | 40.04% |
| 27 | Saxmundham | 59.27% | 40.73% |
| 28 | Western Felixstowe | 57.16% | 42.84% |
| 29 | Harbour & Normanston | 43.31% | 56.69% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Lowestoft 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 East Suffolk.| Area | Unemployed | Yearly Change |
|---|---|---|
| East Suffolk | 2.7% | -0.5% |
| East of England | 3% | -0.3% |
| England | 3.8% | -0.3% |
| UK | 3.7% | -0.3% |
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Last Retrieved: March 2023
| Economic Status | Proportion |
|---|---|
| In Employment | 46.53% |
| In Part-Time Work | 32.41% |
| Unemployed | 6.21% |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
What is the population of Lowestoft and East Suffolk?
The table below contains the populations figures for each ward in East Suffolk including Lowestoft. These population ONS figures are estimated are dated Mid 2020.
| Ward | Population |
|---|---|
| Aldeburgh & Leiston | 12267 |
| Beccles & Worlingham | 15112 |
| Bungay & Wainford | 8816 |
| Carlford & Fynn Valley | 8486 |
| Carlton & Whitton | 10980 |
| Carlton Colville | 10278 |
| Deben | 6005 |
| Eastern Felixstowe | 13241 |
| Framlingham | 8620 |
| Gunton & St Margarets | 9687 |
| Halesworth & Blything | 8160 |
| Harbour & Normanston | 16374 |
| Kelsale & Yoxford | 3930 |
| Kesgrave | 15822 |
| Kessingland | 4328 |
| Kirkley & Pakefield | 13407 |
| Lothingland | 3668 |
| Martlesham & Purdis Farm | 7558 |
| Melton | 4216 |
| Orwell & Villages | 9791 |
| Oulton Broad | 12611 |
| Rendlesham & Orford | 5049 |
| Rushmere St Andrew | 4525 |
| Saxmundham | 4723 |
| Southwold | 4075 |
| Western Felixstowe | 11317 |
| Wickham Market | 5022 |
| Woodbridge | 8244 |
| Wrentham, Wangford & Westleton | 4061 |
| East Suffolk Total | 250373 |
Source: Census 2021 (Nomis/ONS)
Last updated: 20/02/2024, Additional Sources: Office for National Statistics & Department for Work & Pensions.
