From dismantled Possitopia Norwich site
Artwork by Meg McKenzie evoking the original form of Norwich, said to represent a bird's head
The wider area of Norwich is 52.6 km sq. It has a population of 144,000 in the City and 213,000 in the wider urban area. It’s a small city although it used to be the biggest English city in the early Middle Ages, until it became second in size to London before the industrial era.
Its population is 87.1% white, making Norwich the most ethnically diverse part of Norfolk but also below the national average. Historically it was Anglo-Saxon but from the 12th Century there were migrants of European Jews (Huguenots and Flemings). In recent years, the population has become much more diverse, and as a City of Sanctuary, welcoming of refugees.
The biggest age group in the current population is 20–24 year olds, due to the two universities (NUA and UEA). By 2028, population projections indicate Norwich will have the lowest proportion of people aged 65 and over (16.2%) and the highest proportion of people aged under 25 (35.9%) of any Norfolk district, with the latter related in part to the city’s large student population.
More widely in Norfolk, 15 areas are among the richest 10% in the country while 32 are in the poorest 10%. Those poorest neighbourhoods are in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn. In Norwich, the most deprived wards are Mile Cross and Lakenham, with their poverty evidenced by the demand for food banks. Norfolk & Waveney, along with Cornwall, has the highest proportion of people suffering malnourishment, with 1 in 15 affected.
There is currently high inequality across Norwich, with four of the UK’s wealthiest and four of the UK’s most disadvantaged wards. 40% of the Norwich population live in the most deprived 10% of LSOAs in England.
The Cost of Living rise has affected Norwich more than the average for English districts. Norwich has a score of 978 for the Cost of Living Vulnerability Index, compared to the average score of 749.
Workers in Norwich were on average £101 a month poorer in January 2023 than Jan 2022. In Norwich North, in February 2023, 33% couldn’t afford to turn the heating on when cold in the past month; 17% missed a rent payment in the last six months; 28% are worried about having to use a food bank in the next year; 37% of peoples’ mental health has worsened due to the cost of living crisis. Utilities debt has increased by 27% in 2023. See https://costoflivingmap.com/data/
Many are in council-owned social housing (25% compared to 9.5% in other UK areas), the City Council owning c.14,500 homes. Average house prices in Norwich are £245,535 compared to an England average of £305, 731.
The most significant housing hazard is to do with their lack of adequate heating and insulation, worse in times of extreme cold.
Despite its high student population, 36.1% of LSOAs fall within the top 10% most deprived areas in England for educational attainment. 50% of pupils meet KS2 standards for reading, writing and maths, compared to 59% in England.
The biggest employers are in the retail and education & public service sectors. It is one of the UK’s Fast Growth Cities, and has six key growth sectors which employ an estimated 30,000 people across knowledge-intensive business services in around 5140 enterprises. Employment in Norwich used to be the production of agricultural resources (shoes/leather, mustard, confectionery, beer), but after these factories closed it shifted more to retail, insurance/finance, research/academia and technology.