Socio-economic statistics for Spithurst, East Sussex

Socio-economic statistics for Spithurst, East Sussex

Is Spithurst in Lewes a nice place to live or is it a bit rough? We have collated a series of socio-economic statistics and demographics from UK government sources such as the 2021 Census and the Index of Multiple Deprivation. They should give you a broad snapshot of the area and the surrounding locations. Are the residents of Spithurst older than the national average or younger? What is the population of Spithurst and Lewes? What is the claimant count in Spithurst and how many residents are unemployed? This page should provide you with the answers.

What are the occupations of the residents of Spithurst?

The largest employment sector in Spithurst is Professional Occupations. The smallest employment sector is Process Plant & Machine Operatives.
SectorProportion
Professional Occupations21.71%
Managers, Directors & Senior Officials21.28%
Associate Professional & Technical14.76%
Skilled Trades12.46%
Caring, leisure & Other Services8.63%
Administrative & Secretarial7.61%
Elementary Occupations5.15%
Process Plant & Machine Operatives3.79%

Spithurst Age Distribution Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 Census and the calculated the proportion of age groups in Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey.
Age BandProportion
4 & under
5 - 9 years
10 - 15 years
16 - 19 years
20 - 24 years
25 - 34 years
35 - 49 years
50 - 64 years
65 - 74 years
75 - 84 years
85 years & over

Spithurst Education Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census to found of the level of education Spithurst residents have in terms of formal qualifications as a percentage. The UK government breaks qualifications down into 7 levels. A detailed explanation of these levels can be found here. However, the Census groups these into just 4 \'levels\'. Here are some examples of the qualifications each census level represents when not stated;

  • Level 1 - GCSE grades D, E, F, or G & below
  • Level 2 - GCSE A*, A, B, C or O Level grades A, B or C
  • Level 3 - A or AS qualification at any grade
  • Level 4 - HNC, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree or Phd

In this first table we have compared Spithurst to the national average for England.
LevelChailey, Barcombe & HamseyEngland
No Qualifications11.7%18.08%
Level 18.33%9.69%
Level 214.69%13.32%
Apprenticeship4.01%5.32%
Level 316.56%16.92%
Level 442.63%33.92%

How many residents own or rent their home in Spithurst and Lewes

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census and calculated what proportion of people in Spithurst either own or rent their home. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. 72.44 of residents own their home either outright or mortgaged. 27.56 of Spithurst residents rent their home either privately or through a social landlord.
AreaOwnedRented
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey72.44%27.56%
Lewes71.12%28.88%
South East65.66%34.34%
England61.31%38.69%

Spithurst has a significantly higher level of home ownership than the national average. This is indicative or an economically wealthy area.

Spithurst compared to other wards in Lewes

#WardOwnedRented
1Seaford West87.49%12.51%
2Seaford East83.72%16.28%
3Ditchling & Westmeston83.02%16.98%
4Newick78.14%21.86%
5Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John77.93%22.07%
6East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs77.79%22.21%
7Newhaven North77.2%22.8%
8Wivelsfield77.08%22.92%
9Kingston76.26%23.74%
10Lewes Priory74.65%25.35%
11Seaford North74.11%25.89%
12Peacehaven North72.88%27.12%
13Seaford South72.54%27.46%
14Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey72.44%27.56%
15Peacehaven East71.51%28.49%
16Peacehaven West66.49%33.51%
17Ouse Valley & Ringmer65.52%34.48%
18Seaford Central63.39%36.61%
19Lewes Bridge59%41%
20Lewes Castle56.38%43.62%
21Newhaven South54.22%45.78%
Spithurst is ranked 14 out of 21 wards in Lewes for the percentage of home owners.

Spithurst Unemployment Statistics

Since the introduction of Universal Credit, The Department for Work & Pensions have not issued any statistics (in our view) that can be used to ascertain the levels of unemployment or under employment in the UK, just meaningless geographic counts. However, the Office of National Statistics does publish claimant counts of people receiving out of work benefits, be that legacy Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit as a proportion of people over 16. These figures are usually updated once a month and are for Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authority Districts. So below are the figures of Lewes.
AreaUnemployedYearly Change
Lewes3.1%-0.6%
South East2.9%-0.3%
England3.8%-0.3%
UK3.7%-0.3%
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Last Retrieved: March 2023
The 2021 census had data on people who were economically active (seeking work) yet unemployed on Census day (Sunday March 21st 2021). These statitics do cover Spithurst on a ward level. However, it has to be noted that the Census day was during the height of the Covid19 pandemic and therefore are not reflective of normal levels of unemployment. For example, between March 2020 and June 2020 people claiming Universal Credit doubled in most areas of the United Kingdom and then steadily declined up to the day of the Census and beyond. This data also contains the proportion of people in part-time work (working between 1-35 hours per week), which maybe an indicator of under employment in Spithurst.
Economic StatusProportion
In Employment59.59%
In Part-Time Work34.31%
Unemployed3.42%
65.69% of the people in work, are in full-time employment in Spithurst

Spithurst Health Statistics

Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey has significantly more residents (>5%) describing their health as very good than the national average for England.
AreaVGGFBVB
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey53.82%31.8%10.95%2.71%0.71%
Lewes45.58%34.77%14.17%4.3%1.19%
South East49.98%34.01%11.77%3.31%0.93%
England48.49%33.71%12.65%3.98%1.17%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

How has the health of residents in Lewes changed since 2011?

Lewes residents who describe their health as either good or very good has decreased by 0.01% between the 2011 and 2021 census.
YearVGGFBVB
201144.84%35.52%14.26%4.17%1.21%
202145.58%34.77%14.17%4.3%1.19%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

Spithurst & Lewes Immigration Statistics

We have analysed the Census 2021 raw data on country of birth and compiled immigration statistics as percentages of the population. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. Below are the figures for Spithurst in the Lewes local area district.

Spithurst has a lower rate of immigrants than Lewes, the South East region and England as a whole.
AreaBorn in UKBorn outside UK
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey92.66%7.34%
Lewes91.15%8.85%
South East84.24%15.76%
England82.65%17.35%

Spithurst compared to other wards in Lewes

#WardBorn in UKBorn outside UK
1Peacehaven West87.69%12.31%
2Peacehaven East88.73%11.27%
3Lewes Priory88.78%11.22%
4Newhaven South89.5%10.5%
5East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs89.6%10.4%
6Seaford Central89.68%10.32%
7Lewes Bridge89.74%10.26%
8Peacehaven North90.2%9.8%
9Ditchling & Westmeston90.73%9.27%
10Lewes Castle91.04%8.96%
11Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John91.27%8.73%
12Kingston91.58%8.42%
13Seaford South91.77%8.23%
14Wivelsfield92.47%7.53%
15Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey92.66%7.34%
16Seaford North93.18%6.82%
17Seaford West93.89%6.11%
18Ouse Valley & Ringmer93.9%6.1%
19Newhaven North94.26%5.74%
20Seaford East94.26%5.74%
21Newick94.44%5.56%
';Spithurst is ranked 15 out of 21 wards in Lewes for the number of residents born outside of the UK.

What is the population of Spithurst and Lewes?

The table below contains the populations figures for each ward in Lewes including Spithurst. These population ONS figures are estimated are dated Mid 2020.

WardPopulation
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey5491
Ditchling & Westmeston2475
East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs7896
Kingston2086
Lewes Bridge5173
Lewes Castle4332
Lewes Priory8332
Newhaven North5135
Newhaven South8102
Newick2570
Ouse Valley & Ringmer6656
Peacehaven East5504
Peacehaven North5089
Peacehaven West5020
Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John2338
Seaford Central5127
Seaford East4796
Seaford North5328
Seaford South4619
Seaford West4706
Wivelsfield2750
Lewes Total103525



Last updated: 20/02/2024, Additional Sources: Office for National Statistics & Department for Work & Pensions.