MORE than half of all homes in Birchwood are now considered to be 'deprived,' according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS has pulled together information from the 2021 census in order to highlight the percentage of homes that are 'deprived in one or more dimensions.'

There are four dimensions of deprivation, the ONS says, which revolve around employment status, education, housing, and health.

The percentage of homes in Birchwood that are now considered to be deprived in one area or more now stands at 53.1 per cent of homes.

This means that of the 10,600 residents in Birchwood, roughly 5,629 of them are considered to be 'deprived' by the ONS.

More data released as a result of the census highlights a number of interesting statistics for the Birchwood area, too.

For example, the census revealed that almost one-third of Birchwood workers are now working remotely from home - 32.6 per cent of all employees in the area.

The town boasts an employment rate of 57.7 per cent, with the remainder of residents being 'economically inactive' or unemployed.

Just over one-fifth of the town's population live in properties with no cars or vans associated - that's 2,152 residents relying entirely on public transport.

The most common age in the town is in the bracket of 60-64 years old, with more than 7.5 per cent of the town's population falling into this range.

There are around 2,290 married couples - or couples in civil partnerships - in Birchwood, making up 43.2 per cent of all residents.

In terms of race and religion, 93.9 per cent of residents identified as white, and 51.2 per cent described themselves as following the Christian faith.

However, two-in-five residents described themselves as having no religion, which is increasingly becoming the norm nationwide.

Around 1,749 of Birchwood's residents (that's 16.5 per cent) possess zero recognisable qualifications - 30.6 per cent of the town's residents possess a Level 4 qualification or above.

As of 2021, there were 10,600 people living in Birchwood across 5,000 different households.