There are stark regional differences in the level of qualifications of people in London and south-east England compared with parts of the north, according to census data.
The new figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal the continuing divide between England’s north and south, with nearly half (46.7%) of people in London holding a degree or similar qualification (level 4 or above) compared with less than a third (28.6%) of those in the north-east. The figure is 35.8% for the south-east.
The census also shows that close to one-in-five people – equivalent to 8.8 million of those aged 16 and above in England and Wales – hold no qualifications at all. However, this figure does mark a decrease when compared with the 23% of respondents who said they held no qualification 10 years ago.
More than half the population of England and Wales now has at least two A-levels or a higher qualification, a significant shift given that in 1999 the idea of half of young adults going into higher education was seen as aspirational. (Tony Blair’s pledged target of 50% of young people attending higher education was probably reached in 2015-16.)
