Sample Detail

The given bar chart compares the proportion of household living in owner occupied accommodation and renter in England and Wales over the period from 1818 to 2011. Overall, rental accommodation declined steadily, whereas homeowner became increasingly popular thought the period. Although there was a substantial difference between two figures at the beginning, the gap narrowed significantly over time before homeowners eventually overtook renters by 1981. From 1918 – 1961, renter was clearly more common than owning accommodation in England and Wales. In 1918, the proportion of renters peaked at about 77%, compared with only 22% who owned. Although renter was a slight fluctuation between 1939-1953, it generally declined thereafter, falling dramatically from around 68% in 1953 to roughly 59% in 1961. By contrast, the percentage of homeowners increased steadily over the same period, rising from 22% to 41%. As a result, the considerable gap between the two categories gradually narrowed. In 1971, both groups accounted for exactly 50% of households. A significant change occurred towards the end of the period, when owning became more prevalent than renter. Homeowner continued to grow, reaching 60% in 1981 and peaking at approximately 69% in 2001 overtaking the figure for renters. Meanwhile, the percentage of rental accommodation fell consistently to its lowest point of around 31% in the same year. However, by 2011, this pattern changed slightly, as the proportion of homeowners decreased about 65%, while renting experience a modest recovery, rising to around 36%.