Introduction
This profile provides an overview of deprivation and poverty, including their impact on health, in Camden.
Deprivation is defined as a relative lack of resources or opportunities, while poverty relates specifically to a lack of financial resources. Relative deprivation highlights inequalities within society, describing how people are deprived compared with others.
Deprivation and poverty are closely linked to poorer health outcomes. People living in more deprived areas typically experience worse health than those living in less deprived areas - a pattern known as the social gradient in health [1]. These health inequalities arise from differences in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, collectively known as the social determinants of health [1].
Camden ranks in the middle quintile of deprivation within London and the second most deprived quintile nationally. However, there is considerable variation within the borough and the problems associated with relative deprivation are more common in more unequal places, with greater equality reducing these problems [2]. In Camden, indicators related to the living environment, crime, barriers to housing, and income are the biggest contributors to relative deprivation [2].
Indices of Deprivation
The English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) provide a set of relative measures of deprivation for small areas across England [3]. The most recent release, the IoD 2025 (published in November 2025), replaces the IoD 2019 and comprises seven different domains of deprivation, each based on a set of indicators [3]. These seven domains are combined using explicitly defined domain weights to produce the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which is the official measure of relative deprivation in England.
The IoD measures deprivation for small geographic areas known as Lower-Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs). All LSOAs are ranked from the most deprived (rank = 1) to the least deprived. Relative deprivation is most commonly described in terms of whether an area falls within the most deprived 10% (decile) or 20% (quintile) of areas nationally. It is important to note that these rankings describe areas, not individuals: non-deprived people may live in deprived areas, and deprived people may live in less deprived areas.
In addition to the IMD and seven domain indices, there are two supplementary indices, created as subsets of the Income Deprivation domain: the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI).
The IMD is constructed using the following domain weights:
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Income (22.5%) - measures the proportion of the population experiencing deprivation relating to low income. |
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Employment (22.5%) - measures the proportion of the working age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. |
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Education, Skills and Training (13.5%) - measures the lack of attainment and skills in the local population. |
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Health Deprivation and Disability (13.5%) - measures the risk of premature death and the impairment of quality of life through poor physical or mental health. |
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Crime (9.3%) - measures the risk of personal and material victimisation at local level. |
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Barriers to Housing and Services (9.3%) - measures the physical and financial accessibility of housing and local services. |
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Living Environment (9.3%) - measures the quality of both the indoor and outdoor local environment. |
How can the Indices of Deprivation be used?
It can be used to:
✔️ compare small areas across England
✔️ identify the most deprived small areas
✔️ explore the domains (or types) of deprivation
✔️ compare larger administrative areas e.g. local authorities
✔️ look at changes in relative deprivation between iterations (i.e. changes in ranks)
It cannot be used to:
❌ quantify how deprived a small area is
❌ identify deprived people
❌ say how affluent a place is
❌ compare with small areas in other UK countries
❌ measure absolute change in deprivation over time [3].
WarningChanges in the 2025 release
The IoD 2025 update includes a number of significant methodological and data changes, meaning the outputs are less directly comparable to previous Indices [4]. Most notably, the number of component indicators has increased from 39 in the IoD 2019 to 55 in the IoD 2025 [4]. Of these, 20 are new indicators, 14 have been significantly modified, 21 have been updated to more recent time periods and three indicators have been removed [4]. Population estimates have also been updated, and the geography has shifted from 2011 to 2021 LSOAs, meaning many neighbourhood boundaries have changed [4]. A detailed breakdown of these changes is available in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 Technical Report.
These changes to indicators, data sources, population estimates and geographies make it difficult to determine whether differences between 2019 and 2025 reflect real changes in deprivation or are a result of methodological changes. Comparisons should therefore be made with caution.
How does Camden rank?
Using the headline IMD measure, Camden ranked as the 60th most deprived of 153 Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) in England in 2025. This compares with 85th most deprived of the 151 UTLAs in 2019 and 51st most deprived of 152 UTLAs in 2015. Therefore, Camden is more relatively deprived in 2025 than it was in 2019.
Camden is most deprived in the Living Environment, Income, Barriers to Housing and Services, and Crime domains.
What’s changed since 2019?
Between 2019 and 2025, 41.4% of LSOAs in Camden remained in the same IMD decile, while, 53.4% of LSOAs became more relatively deprived and 5.26% became less relatively deprived.
In 2019, no LSOAs in Camden were within the most deprived 10% of areas nationally, compared with four LSOAs in 2025. Only 25% of the areas that fell within the least deprived decile in the IMD 2019 remained in the same decile in the IMD 2025.
Index of Multiple Deprivation
Camden ranks 60 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 21.5% (n=28) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England, with 3.1% (n=4) amongst the 10% most deprived according to the IMD 2025.
In 2024, 21.2% (n=46,093) of the population (all ages) in Camden were living in areas amongst the 20% most deprived in England, with 2.96% (n=6,422) living in areas amongst the 10% most deprived [5]. Meanwhile, 22.6% (n=15,696) of those aged under 25 years were living in areas amongst the 20% most deprived in England, with 2.81% (n=1,949) living in areas among the 10% most deprived nationally.
Deprivation varies across Camden, with higher levels seen in the Central and South neighbourhoods
St Pancras and Somers Town (75.0%), Camden Town (66.7%) and Kilburn (66.7%) are the wards with the highest proportion of LSOAs in the 20% most deprived nationally. Meanwhile, Frognal (80.0%), Hampstead Town (60.0%) and Belsize (44.4%) have the highest proportion of wards in the least deprived 20% nationally.
Domains of deprivation
The Income Deprivation domain measures the proportion of the population estimated to be experiencing deprivation related to low income (presented as a simple rate). The definition of low income used includes people who are dependent upon the state for some form of means-tested benefit, and includes both those people that are out of work, and those that are in work but who have low earnings (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Camden ranks 58 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 30% (n=39) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England according to the Income Deprivation domain, with 26.6% of the population estimated to be income deprived.
A summary for the income deprivation domain supplementary indices is shown below.
Supplementary Indices
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures the proportion of all children aged 0 to 15 years living in income deprived families. Income deprived families are defined as families that were either:
- receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseekers Allowance or income-based Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit (Guarantee) or Universal Credit (in the ‘Searching for work’, ‘No work requirements’, ‘Planning for work’, ‘Working – with requirements’ and ‘Preparing for work’ conditionality groups); or
- families not in receipt of these benefits but in receipt of Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit with an equivalised income (excluding housing benefit) below 60 per cent of the national median before housing costs.
Camden ranks 64 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 40% (n=52) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England, with 42.8% of children aged 0-15 years estimated to be living in income-deprived families.
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the proportion of the population aged 60 years and over who are income deprived. Adults aged 60 years or over experiencing income deprivation are here defined as:
- those receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseekers Allowance or income-based Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit (Guarantee) or Universal Credit (in the ‘Searching for work’, ‘No work requirements’, ‘Planning for work’, ‘Working – with requirements’ and ‘Preparing for work’ conditionality groups); or
- families not in receipt of these benefits but in receipt of Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit with an equivalised income (excluding housing benefit) below 60 per cent of the national median before housing costs.
Camden ranks 11 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 55.4% (n=72) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England, with 36.7% of the population aged 60 years and over estimated to be income deprived.
The Employment Deprivation domain measures the proportion of the working age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market (presented as a simple rate). This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Camden ranks 73 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 20.8% (n=27) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England according to the Employment Deprivation domain, with 13.6% of the working age population estimated to be employment deprived.
The Education, Skills and Training Deprivation domain measures the lack of attainment and skills in the local population. It comprises two sub-domains: one relating to children and young people, and one relating to adult skills. These reflect the ‘flow’ and ‘stock’ of educational disadvantage: the children and young people sub-domain measures the attainment of qualifications and associated measures, while the adult skills sub-domain measures the lack of qualifications among the working-age population.
Camden ranks 131 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 0% (n=0) of LSOAs are in the 20% most deprived nationally for Education, Skills and Training Deprivation.
Overall, education-related deprivation in Camden is relatively low compared to the national distribution. In the Children and Young People sub-domain, 59.2% of areas fall within the 50% least deprived nationally, while this is even higher within the Adult Skills sub-domain at 76.2%.
The Health Deprivation and Disability domain measures the risk of premature death and the impairment of quality of life through poor physical or mental health. The domain measures morbidity, disability and premature mortality but not aspects of behaviour or environment that may be predictive of future health deprivation.
Camden ranks 73 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 12.3% (n=16) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England according to the Health Deprivation and Disability domain.
Crime is an important feature of deprivation that has major effects on individuals and communities. The Crime domain measures the risk of personal and material victimisation at local level.
Camden ranks 67 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 16.9% (n=22) of LSOAs are amongst the 20% most deprived in England according to the Crime domain.
The Barriers to Housing and Services domain measures the physical and financial accessibility of housing and local services. The indicators fall into two sub-domains: geographical barriers, which capture the physical proximity of key services and amenities, and wider barriers, which reflect broader issues of accessibility, such as access to affordable housing and other important services.
Camden ranks 67 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 16.2% (n=21) of LSOAs fall within the 20% most deprived in England for Barriers to Housing and Services.
All LSOAs in Camden are among the 10% least deprived nationally in the geographical barriers sub-domain, indicating that physical access to services is generally good. Therefore, deprivation in this domain is driven primarily by issues captured in the wider barriers sub-domain - particularly around housing affordability, overcrowding, and homelessness.
The Living Environment Deprivation domain measures the quality of the local environment. It is made up of two sub-domains: the indoors living environment, which focuses on the quality of the home environment, and the outdoors living environment, which focuses on quality outside the home in the local neighbourhood, such as air quality, noise pollution and road traffic accidents.
Camden ranks 5 out of 153 UTLAs in England (with 1 being the most deprived). Within Camden, 79.2% (n=103) in Camden are amongst the 20% most deprived in England in relation to the Living Environment Deprivation domain. All neighbourhoods fall within the 50% most deprived nationally. This pattern aligns with wider London trends, with only some neighbourhoods in the far Outer London boroughs amongst the 50% least deprived nationally [6].
Across London, high levels of Living Environment deprivation are primarily driven by factors affecting the outdoor environment - particularly poor air quality, pollution, and heavy road traffic. [6]. Poor provision of domestic green space is the main driver of inequality in the indoor living environment.
Effect of deprivation on health
Deprivation is associated with poorer health outcomes including a greater risk of poor mental health, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, diabetes, lower access to healthcare services, and premature mortality [7]. As a result, people living in more deprived areas have shorter lives, and also spend a greater proportion of their lives in poor health, compared to people living in less deprived areas [7,8].
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth - the average number of years a new-born baby would live if they experienced the age-specific mortality rates for that area and time period throughout their life - is commonly used as an indicator of the overall health of a population. There is a social gradient in life expectancy, whereby people who are less advantaged in terms of socioeconomic position have shorter lives than those who are more advantaged [8].
In Camden, life expectancy at birth for females living in the most deprived areas is 82.3 years, compared to 92.1 years in the least deprived areas, a difference of 9.8 years. For males, this gap is 12.2 years - with life expectancy at birth of 77.3 years in the most deprived areas and 89.5 years in the least deprived areas.
Slope index of inequality
The slope index of inequality (SII) is a measure of the social gradient in life expectancy i.e., how much life expectancy varies with deprivation. It takes account of health inequalities across the whole range of deprivation within each area and summarises this in a single number. This represents the range in years of life expectancy across the social gradient from most to least deprived, based on a statistical analysis of the relationship between life expectancy and deprivation across all deprivation deciles.
Between 2021-23, the level of inequality, or gap, in life expectancy at birth between the most and least deprived areas of Camden was 5.46 years for females and 11.6 years for males, compared to 5.55 and 8.33 years in London and 8.32 and 10.5 years in England.
Life expectancy gap
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) Segment Tool provides information on the causes of death that are driving inequalities in life expectancy at local area level [9]. Targeting the causes of death which contribute most to the life expectancy gap should have the biggest impact on reducing inequalities.
In 2022-23, female life expectancy in Camden was 3.67 years lower in the most deprived quintile compared with the least deprived quintile. For males, the gap was 8.67 years. The life expectancy gap is determined by higher mortality in deprived areas across a range of causes of death. Higher mortality rates in the most deprived areas from circulatory disease, cancer and respiratory disease contributed 41.4% to the gap in life expectancy in females and 50.5% in males. Cardiovascular disease was the largest contributor to the life expectancy gap in females (16.3%) and males (20.7%).
Child poverty
Child poverty is linked to a wide range of poorer health outcomes
Experience of poverty during childhood is linked to many short and long term negative health outcomes, including poorer early child development, educational attainment, employment opportunities and income, mental and physical health and premature mortality [10].
There is no single, universally accepted definition of poverty. However, in general the term refers to when people lack the material resources to meet minimum needs. The UK government publishes two key measures of poverty based on disposable income:
- Absolute low income - families with income below 60% of the median income in 2010/11
- Relative low income - families with income below 60% of the median in the reference year.
In 2023/24, 17% (n=5,469) of children aged under 16 years in Camden were living in absolute low income families, compared to 15.1% in London and 19.1% nationally. Meanwhile, during the same time period, 19.9% (n=6,386) of children in Camden were living in relative low income families, compared to 17.8% in London and 22.1% nationally. Both locally and nationally, the proportion of children living in low income families has been increasing and getting worse in recent years.
Further reading
References
[1]
Marmot M, Goldblatt P, Allen J, Boyce T, McNeish D, Grady M, et al. Fair Society, Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review). London: Institute for Health Equity; 2010.
[2]
MHCLG. English indices of deprivation 2019. 2019.
[3]
MHCLG. English indices of deprivation 2025. 2025.
[4]
MHCLG. The English Indices of Deprivation 2025: Technical report. 2025.
[5]
ONS. Population estimates - small area. Nomis 2025.
[6]
Tibbles M. Indices of Deprivation 2025: An exploratory analysis – London Datastore 2025.
[7]
The King’s Fund. Illustrating the relationship between poverty and NHS services 2024.
[8]
The Health Foundation. Inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy 2025.
[9]
OHID. Segment Tool 2025.
[10]
RCPCH. Child poverty. State of Child Health 2021.