Place

Norfolk is divided into seven districts; Norwich is mostly urban while the other districts have a mix of rural and urban areas, with North Norfolk having the highest proportion of its population living in areas categorised as rural.^[1] The rural nature of Norfolk presents opportunities in terms of providing access to natural greenspace but provides challenges for the delivery of services.

As of 2022, around 140,000 people in Norfolk live in areas categorised as among the most deprived 20% in England. These people are mainly located in the urban areas of Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn, together with some identified pockets of deprivation in rural areas, coastal villages and market towns.^[2]

Norfolk remains a very safe place with rates of crime and anti-social behaviour consistently below the East of England average.^[3]

Access to green space is important as it adds to people’s quality of life, provides access to fresh air and exercise benefits both physical and mental health. 81% of households in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and 96% of households in Great Yarmouth are estimated to have access to 2 hectares of green space and rights of away less than 1km from their home, respectively the lowest and highest proportions in Norfolk.^[4]

Health services in Norfolk are commissioned by the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) and approximately a third of Norfolk County Council’s annual budget is spent on Adult Social Services.^[5] Norfolk’s spend on adult social care per head of population of around £740 for the year 2023/24 is one of the highest in England for a county council.^[6]

Homelessness in Norfolk is lower than the national average, with 10.5 households per 1,000 owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2023/24 compared to a figure of 13.4 homeless households per 1,000 for England as a whole. The rate of homelessness varies across the county with the highest rate in Great Yarmouth (19.6 homeless households per 1,000) and lowest rate in South Norfolk (5.8 homeless households per 1,000).^[7]

In 2023/24 74% of the working age population in Norfolk was in employment, similar to the national average of 76%.^[8] However, average earnings are lower in Norfolk with median weekly pay for a full-time worker in 2024 being £680 compared to £730 for Great Britain as a whole.^[9]

1. www.norfolkinsight.org.uk/data-catalog-explorer/indicator/I25415?view=table
2. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019
3. www.norfolkinsight.org.uk/crime-and-community-safety/#/view-report/48facb1714aa4261a67cbe7d59bfec28/___iaFirstFeature/G3
4. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-green-space-in-england/access-to-green-space-in-england
5. www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/38758/Where-the-money-is-spent
6. lginform.local.gov.uk/reports/lgastandard?mod-metric=1029&mod-area=E10000020&mod-group=AllCountiesInCountry_England&mod-type=namedComparisonGroup&mod-period=1
7. fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework/data#page/3/gid/1000041/pat/502/par/E10000020/ati/501/iid/93736/age/-1/sex/-1/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1/page-options/ovw-do-0_ine-vo-0_ine-yo-3:2016:-1:-1_ine-ct-9_ine-pt-0_car-do-0
8. fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework/data#page/3/gid/1000041/ati/502/iid/92313/age/204/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1/page-options/ovw-do-0_ine-vo-0_ine-yo-3:2016:-1:-1_ine-ct-9_ine-pt-0_car-do-0
9. www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1941962835/report.aspx?town=norfolk#tabempunemp

As of 2024, there were 444,640 properties in Norfolk and it is estimated that the total number of dwellings in Norfolk rose by around 4,600 in 2023/24.^[10] The median house price in Norfolk for the year ending September 2024 was £265,000, lower than the English average of £290,000. The Norfolk figure represents a fall from an all time high of £285,000 for the year ending June 2023, and is the first fall observed since 2011.^[11]

Homelessness in Norfolk is lower than the national average, with 10.5 households per 1,000 owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2023/24 compared to a figure of 13.4 homeless households per 1,000 for England as a whole. The rate of homelessness varies across the county with the highest rate in Great Yarmouth (19.6 homeless households per 1,000) and lowest rate in South Norfolk (5.8 homeless households per 1,000).^[12]

A household can be considered fuel poor if they reside in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below and their income is below the official poverty line once housing costs and the cost of properly heating their home are deducted.^[13] In 2023 in Norfolk 11.7% of households were considered to be in fuel poverty, similar to the English average of 11.4%, but the second highest rate amongst counties/unitary authorities in the East of England. Within Norfolk, North Norfolk has the highest percentage of households in fuel poverty (13.5%), while Broadland has the lowest percentage (9.4%).^[14]

Norfolk County Council’s Local Transport Plan for 2021 to 2036 sets as one objective that “We want to improve the health of our residents by improving air quality and encouraging active travel options to improve health and fitness. Our commitment is to work towards zero carbon.”^[15]

Norfolk’s key strategic connections by road are to London and the south, and an east-west route. Rail lines exist to London and the south, the Midlands and the north of England via Cambridge, and Europe via St Pancras / Thameslink from King’s Lynn. Norfolk’s other gateways are Norwich Airport and the ports at King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

The rate of people killed and seriously injured on Norfolk roads is similar to the English average. In 2023 470 people were killed or seriously injured on Norfolk’s roads.^[16]

Based on 2021 census data, households in Norfolk had access to on average 62 vehicles per 100 people. This is higher than the English average of 51 vehicles per 100 people. Among the Norfolk districts, South Norfolk has the highest ownership rate and Norwich has the lowest rate of vehicle ownership by some margin.^[17]

In 2023/24 74% of the working age population in Norfolk was in employment, similar to the national average of 76%.^[18] However, average earnings are lower in Norfolk with median weekly pay for a full-time worker in 2024 being £680 compared to £730 for Great Britain as a whole.^[19]

In 2024/25 4.3% of adults aged 16 to 64 were unemployed, while the average for Great Britain was 3.9%. In Norfolk there is a lower proportion of people in managerial and professional jobs, and a greater proportion in skilled trades, sales, customer service and elementary occupations compared to Great Britain as a whole.^[20]

An indication of economic activity can be provided by the number of active enterprises. Norfolk had about 33,500 active enterprises in 2024, a figure virtually identical to the previous year. Using 2024 population estimates, this equates to about 3.6 enterprises per 100 people in Norfolk which is lower than the English average of 4.0.^[21][22]

Economic welfare and social wellbeing are closely linked to the quality of the environment. There are many ways to protect our environment by reducing pollution and waste, protecting natural areas and biodiversity, and enforcing regulations that keep our water and air clean. In 2022 Norfolk had a lower rate of total CO2 emissions per square kilometre than the English average (831 in Norfolk compared to 1,832 for England as a whole), but a higher rate of total CO2 emissions per person (4.9 in Norfolk compared to 4.3 across England as a whole).^[23]

In 2023 the level of air pollution in Norfolk was in line with the national average (despite the rural nature of the county). The percentage of deaths attributed to poor air quality was also in line with the national average, with an estimated 5.3% of deaths attributable to particulate air pollution.^[24]

Deprived communities are identified using the English Indices of Deprivation, which comprise seven domains (income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and services and living environment) and relatively ranks each small area in England from most deprived to least deprived.^[25]

Around 165,000 people in Norfolk and Waveney in 2022 lived in areas categorised as being among the most deprived 20% in England. These are mainly located in the urban areas of Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Thetford and King’s Lynn together with some identified pockets of deprivation in rural areas, coastal villages and market towns.^[26][27]

The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System oversees health services in Norfolk. GP practices in Norfolk and Waveney are working together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in groups known as primary care networks (PCNs). There are 17 PCNs in Norfolk, just over 100 GPs, 3 acute hospitals and around 570 registered care providers.^[28]

In Norfolk, the day-to-day activities of 1 in 5 people are limited by their health or disability. Norfolk has a higher proportion of people with dementia than the English average, and this is expected to increase by 25% by 2030. Ongoing care and support needs often mean people need help with everyday living, such as personal care, and their families need support too.

Much of the care and support provided is by unpaid carers, families and friends. There are 114,000 carers across Norfolk who provide unpaid care and support for a friend or family member who cannot cope without their support, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction.^[29]

Norfolk County Council’s Adult Social Care service is experiencing increasing demand for care services. For example, it is estimated that people over 75-years-old will need around 15,000 residential and nursing beds and more than 6,000 specialist housing units.^[29]

In 2023/24 across Great Britain around 0.6 million workers sustained an injury at work and 138 workers died in work-related accidents. These workplace injuries cost roughly £7.1 billion and resulted in over 33.7 million lost workdays. The most frequent injury type was ‘Slips, trips or falls on same level’ (accounting for 31% of injuries) followed by ‘Handling, lifting or carrying’ (17%).^[30]

Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is a major factor in workplace absence, accounting for around 46% of all lost workdays. The amount of people suffering from work related stress, depression or anxiety is rising. This issue is especially acute in certain industries such as public administration, health and social work and education.^[30]

Norfolk remains a very safe place. In 2024/25 the annual rate of recorded crimes was 63.8 per 1,000 of population, noticeably below the 86.1 per 1,000 of population recorded for England as a whole, and also below the East of England figure (69.8 crimes per 1,000 of population). In Norfolk there was no change in the total number of recorded crimes compared with the previous year, however, there was an 11% increase in the number of theft offences led by a 29% increase in shoplifting. As a comparison, the rate of shoplifting across England rose by 20%.^[31]

Looking at different areas of Norfolk, in 2024/25 Norwich had the highest rate of all crimes per person while Broadland had the lowest.^[32]

Norfolk is divided into seven districts; Norwich is mostly urban while the other districts have a mix of rural and urban areas, with North Norfolk having the highest proportion of its population living in areas categorised as rural.^[33] The rural nature of Norfolk presents opportunities in terms of providing access to natural greenspace but provides challenges for the delivery of services.

Accessing the digital world is an essential part of modern life. However, there are inequalities in the ability of people to do this leading to digital exclusion. Potential barriers to accessing digital services include cost, limited skills, confidence, limited motivation and accessibility issues associated with disabilities and complex needs.^[34]

As of 2021, 96% of Norfolk residents had access to ‘superfast’ broadband and 70% of households used this type of broadband.^[35] Nevertheless, pockets of low speed broadband and low broadband coverage exist in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and Breckland.^[36]

The Health Foundation (2021) explains that ‘Good Health is vital for prosperity, allowing people to play an active role at work and in their communities.’^[37] Improvements in life expectancy stalled in the decade before the pandemic^[38] and there are wide inequalities in health within and between local areas in the UK.

It is widely acknowledged that there are health inequalities in the UK which no single organisation or community can tackle alone. Several factors influence how long someone lives, such as where they live, whether they have faced discrimination and their employment prospects.

The health inequalities toolkit is a resource to help place-based organisations tackle health inequalities. It provides a step-by-step guide for organisations and communities which takes them to clear and considered action. The resources aid in clarifying the identified issue, its causes, what is happening right now in a specific place, and how communities can work together to address existing poor health outcomes.

It can be used as a whole or in part, and contains validated national tools as well as links to further information. All stages in the toolkit are accessible from this webpage.