Overcrowded households
Published
- 1. Navigate toMain facts and figures section
- 2. Navigate toThings you need to know section
- 3. Navigate to By ethnicity section
- 4. Navigate to By ethnicity and socio-economic group section
- 5. Navigate to By ethnicity and income section
- 6. Navigate to By ethnicity and area section
- 7. Navigate to By ethnicity and age group section
- 8. Navigate to By ethnicity and type of occupancy (owning or renting) section
- 9. Navigate toData sources section
- 10. Navigate toDownload the data section
1. Main facts and figures
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in the 3 years to March 2023, an average of 3% of households in England were overcrowded – this means they had fewer bedrooms than they needed to avoid sharing
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out of all ethnic groups for whom data was known, the highest rates of overcrowding were in Arab (25%), Bangladeshi (18%), Black African and Mixed White and Black African (16% respectively) households
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the lowest rate of overcrowding was in White British households (2%)
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in all socio-economic groups, regions, age groups, income bands and types of occupancy, White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined
Further research
Research by the Health Foundation found that households headed by people from ethnic minority backgrounds were more than twice as likely to experience 2 or more housing problems. These include affordability, overcrowding, and whether the home is classed as non-decent.
Government research into overcrowding in South Asian households found complex reasons for overcrowding. It showed that families often wanted to live in larger groups for financial and childcare support, but found a lack of affordable housing with enough space. The report also highlighted negative consequences of overcrowded homes, including disruption to sleep, a lack of privacy, and increased family arguments.
2. Things you need to know
What the data measures
The data shows the number and percentage of households that are overcrowded, by ethnicity.
A household is overcrowded if it has fewer bedrooms than it needs to avoid sharing, based on the age, sex and relationship of household members. For example, one separate bedroom would be needed by:
- a married or cohabiting couple
- someone aged 21 or over
- 2 children of the same sex aged 10 to 20 years old
- 2 children of any sex under 10 years old
The information relates to households of either one person or a group of people sharing cooking facilities and a living room or dining area. It must be their main or only home.
Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number, but have been worked out using unrounded numbers. As a result, there may be some differences when recalculating these percentages using numerators and denominators.
Not included in the data
Estimates based on fewer than 5 households have not been included. This is to protect people’s confidentiality and because it is harder to make reliable generalisations from smaller numbers of survey respondents.
The ethnic groups used in the data
The data uses the 18 ethnic groups from the 2011 Census.
For data by ethnicity and another factor (for example, socio-economic group), the following 2 ethnic groups are shown:
- White British
- all other ethnic groups combined, including White minority groups
This is to keep group sizes big enough to be able to make reliable generalisations.
Data is based on the ethnicity of the 'household reference person'. This is usually the person responsible for the tenancy or mortgage. If there are joint owners or tenants, it is the person with the highest income. If they have the same income, it is the oldest person.
The data does not account for people of different ethnic backgrounds who live in the same household.
The ethnicity was known for 99.9% of households.
Methodology
Read the detailed methodology document for this data.
The data is an average for the 3 years from April 2020 to March 2023. This is to make sure there are enough households to be able to make reliable generalisations. You can read more about combining multiple years of data and some of the issues involved.
Figures are based on survey data. Find out more about:
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interpreting survey data, including how reliability is affected by the number of people surveyed
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how weighting is used to make survey data more representative of the whole group being studied
In the data file
Download the data for:
- percentages rounded to 1 decimal place
- sample sizes of households
- weighted households (in thousands) for the numerator and denominator
3. By ethnicity
| Ethnicity | % | Overcrowded households (000s) | All households (000s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2.9 | 707 | 24,148 |
| Asian | 8.8 | 127 | 1,437 |
| Bangladeshi | 18.3 | 24 | 131 |
| Chinese | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | 131 |
| Indian | 5.6 | 36 | 639 |
| Pakistani | 14.1 | 47 | 330 |
| Asian other | 8.8 | 18 | 206 |
| Black | 13.6 | 95 | 702 |
| Black African | 16.4 | 71 | 436 |
| Black Caribbean | 9.7 | 21 | 217 |
| Black other | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | 48 |
| Mixed | 7.9 | 39 | 490 |
| Mixed White and Asian | 5.3 | 7 | 126 |
| Mixed White and Black African | 16.1 | 23 | 144 |
| Mixed White and Black Caribbean | 6.4 | 6 | 93 |
| Mixed other | 2.5 | 3 | 127 |
| White | 2.0 | 415 | 21,156 |
| White British | 1.7 | 346 | 19,805 |
| White Irish | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | 154 |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | withheld because a small sample size makes it unreliable | 8 |
| White other | 5.5 | 66 | 1,189 |
| Other | 8.5 | 31 | 362 |
| Arab | 25.3 | 17 | 66 |
| Other ethnic background | 4.7 | 14 | 296 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity Summary
The data shows that, in the 3 years to March 2023:
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3% of the 24 million households in England were overcrowded – this means they had fewer bedrooms than they needed to avoid sharing
-
out of all ethnic groups for whom data was known, the highest rates of overcrowding were in Arab (25%), Bangladeshi (18%), Black African and Mixed White and Black African (both 16%) households
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the lowest rate of overcrowding was in White British households (2%)
4. By ethnicity and socio-economic group
| All | White British | Other than White British | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socio-economic group | All % | All Overcrowded households ('000s) | All All households ('000s) | White British % | White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | White British All households ('000s) | Other than White British % | Other than White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | Other than White British All households ('000s) |
| All | 3 | 627 | 22,485 | 2 | 307 | 18,598 | 8 | 320 | 3,887 |
| Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations | 1 | 164 | 11,530 | 1 | 76 | 9,542 | 4 | 88 | 1,988 |
| Intermediate occupations | 3 | 145 | 4,764 | 2 | 58 | 3,959 | 11 | 87 | 805 |
| Routine and manual occupations | 5 | 317 | 6,190 | 3 | 173 | 5,097 | 13 | 144 | 1,094 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and socio-economic group’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and socio-economic group’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity and socio-economic group Summary
The data shows that:
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in every socio-economic group, White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined
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among households in the ‘routine or manual occupations’ socio-economic group (one of the lowest groups), 3% of White British households were overcrowded, compared with 13% of households from all other ethnic groups combined
5. By ethnicity and income
| All | White British | Other than White British | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly income band | All % | All Overcrowded households ('000s) | All All households ('000s) | White British % | White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | White British All households ('000s) | Other than White British % | Other than White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | Other than White British All households ('000s) |
| All | 3 | 707 | 24,148 | 2 | 346 | 19,805 | 8 | 361 | 4,343 |
| Up to 99GBP | 0 | 0 | 274 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 100GBP to 199GBP | 2 | 22 | 1,373 | 1 | 9 | 1,128 | 6 | 14 | 245 |
| 200GBP to 299GBP | 3 | 75 | 2,261 | 2 | 40 | 1,934 | 11 | 35 | 327 |
| 300GBP to 399GBP | 4 | 89 | 2,226 | 3 | 55 | 1,864 | 10 | 37 | 362 |
| 400GBP to 499GBP | 3 | 67 | 2,114 | 2 | 31 | 1,765 | 11 | 38 | 349 |
| 500GBP to 599GBP | 4 | 71 | 2,044 | 2 | 37 | 1,682 | 10 | 35 | 362 |
| 600GBP to 699GBP | 3 | 63 | 1,835 | 1 | 22 | 1,526 | 13 | 41 | 309 |
| 700GBP to 799GBP | 4 | 63 | 1,717 | 2 | 32 | 1,400 | 10 | 31 | 317 |
| 800GBP to 899GBP | 2 | 31 | 1,515 | 1 | 13 | 1,224 | 6 | 19 | 291 |
| 900GBP to 999GBP | 2 | 28 | 1,207 | 1 | 10 | 963 | 8 | 18 | 244 |
| 1000GBP and above | 3 | 191 | 7,581 | 2 | 98 | 6,098 | 6 | 93 | 1,483 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and income’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and income’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity and income Summary
The data shows that:
- in all income bands, White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined
6. By ethnicity and area
| All | White British | Other than White British | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | All % | All Overcrowded households ('000s) | All All households ('000s) | White British % | White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | White British All households ('000s) | Other than White British % | Other than White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | Other than White British All households ('000s) |
| All | 3 | 707 | 24,148 | 2 | 346 | 19,805 | 8 | 361 | 4,343 |
| East | 2 | 50 | 2,668 | 1 | 30 | 2,290 | 5 | 20 | 378 |
| East Midlands | 2 | 42 | 2,085 | 2 | 28 | 1,805 | 5 | 15 | 281 |
| London | 7 | 240 | 3,635 | 3 | 51 | 1,892 | 11 | 189 | 1,743 |
| North East | 2 | 19 | 1,205 | 1 | 13 | 1,121 | 7 | 6 | 84 |
| North West | 2 | 70 | 3,228 | 2 | 43 | 2,863 | 7 | 27 | 365 |
| South East | 3 | 96 | 3,908 | 2 | 66 | 3,341 | 5 | 31 | 567 |
| South West | 2 | 54 | 2,542 | 2 | 36 | 2,338 | 9 | 18 | 204 |
| West Midlands | 4 | 89 | 2,485 | 2 | 45 | 2,041 | 10 | 43 | 444 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 2 | 45 | 2,392 | 2 | 34 | 2,116 | 5 | 13 | 276 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and area’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and area’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity and area Summary
The data shows that:
- in all regions of England, White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined
7. By ethnicity and age group
| All | White British | Other than White British | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age group | All % | All Overcrowded households ('000s) | All All households ('000s) | White British % | White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | White British All households ('000s) | Other than White British % | Other than White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | Other than White British All households ('000s) |
| 16 - 24 | 5 | 38 | 771 | 3 | 18 | 580 | 10 | 19 | 190 |
| 25 - 34 | 4 | 153 | 3,593 | 4 | 94 | 2,615 | 6 | 59 | 978 |
| 35 - 44 | 6 | 231 | 3,999 | 3 | 93 | 2,771 | 11 | 138 | 1,228 |
| 45 - 54 | 4 | 175 | 4,443 | 2 | 75 | 3,493 | 11 | 100 | 950 |
| 55 - 64 | 2 | 94 | 4,304 | 2 | 56 | 3,770 | 7 | 39 | 534 |
| 65 or over | 0 | 16 | 7,039 | 0 | 10 | 6,576 | 1 | 6 | 463 |
| All | 3 | 707 | 24,148 | 2 | 346 | 19,805 | 8 | 361 | 4,343 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and age group’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and age group’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity and age group Summary
The data shows that:
- in every age group, White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined
8. By ethnicity and type of occupancy (owning or renting)
| All | White British | Other than White British | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing tenure | All % | All Overcrowded households ('000s) | All All households ('000s) | White British % | White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | White British All households ('000s) | Other than White British % | Other than White British Overcrowded households ('000s) | Other than White British All households ('000s) |
| All | 3 | 707 | 24,148 | 2 | 346 | 19,805 | 8 | 361 | 4,343 |
| owners | 1 | 148 | 15,611 | 1 | 93 | 13,757 | 3 | 55 | 1,855 |
| private renters | 5 | 232 | 4,541 | 3 | 85 | 2,967 | 9 | 148 | 1,574 |
| social sector | 8 | 327 | 3,996 | 6 | 168 | 3,082 | 17 | 159 | 914 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and type of occupancy (owning or renting)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and type of occupancy (owning or renting)’ (CSV)
Summary of Overcrowded households By ethnicity and type of occupancy (owning or renting) Summary
The data shows that:
- White British households were less likely to be overcrowded than households from all other ethnic groups combined, whether they owned or rented their home
9. Data sources
Source
Type of data
Survey data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Note on corrections or updates
Information published in the English Housing Survey headline report and other annual reports is usually based on a 12-month period, rather than the 2 years’ combined data used here. As a result, the statistics shown here may not match those in the English Housing Survey reports.
Publication frequency
Yearly
Purpose of data source
The English Housing Survey is a continuous national survey. It collects information about people’s housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England.
10. Download the data
measure time time_type ethnicity ethnicity_type nssec income_band region age_group tenure value numerator denominator sample_size