• Data coming soon

Life Expectancy

Ward

• Latest figures (2020-22) show that the four most deprived wards (Birkenhead & Tranmere, Bidston & St James, Rock Ferry and Seacombe) have the lowest life expectancies of all the 22 wards for both males and females. For males, there was a 13.4 year difference between the wards with the highest (West Kirby & Thurstaston) and lowest (Birkenhead & Tranmere) life expectancy in Wirral. For females, there was a 10.5 year difference between the wards with the highest (Greasby, Frankby & Irby) and lowest (Rock Ferry) life expectancy in Wirral.
  
  

Local Authority

• Latest figures (2021-23) show that females in Wirral has the highest life expectancy across the Liverpool City Region. For males, however, life expectancy is the 2^nd highest (behind Sefton). Compared to England, however, Wirral’s life expectancy (for both sexes) is significantly lower. On the other hand, there is no significant difference between Wirral’s life expectancy (for both sexes) and the North West. There is no significant difference between Wirral’s healthy life expectancy (for both sexes) and England and the North West.

Give Every Child Best Start in Life

Ward

• Latest (2023/24) ward-level data show significant differences in early childhood development across the borough, with a difference of 24.5 percent between the lowest performing Ward (Seacombe) and the highest performing ward (Clatterbridge).
  
  

Local Authority

• In 2023/24, 83.3% of children aged 2-2.5 years achieved a Good Level of Development (GLoD) in Wirral. Despite a slight decrease since 2020/21, latest figures are above both England (80.4%) and the North West (80.8%). GLoD drops to 66.2% at Reception year. This is lower than England (67.7%) but higher than the North West (64.4%). In Wirral, there is a significant difference in GLoD at Reception year by gender, with latest figures showing 73.4% of girls compared to 59.4% of boys achieving a GLoD.

Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives

Local Authority

• In 2023/24, Wirral's Progress 8 score is -0.2 overall and -0.8 for FSM pupils, showing below-average progress. Attainment 8 is 44.4, with girls outperforming boys. NEET rates are stable at 4.9%, aligning with national levels. Self-harm admissions are higher in females, with Wirral ranking 3rd best locally. 86.6% of young people achieve Level 2 qualifications by age 19, though FSM pupils lag behind non-FSM peers.

Create fair employment and good work for all

Local Authority

• In 2024, 18.3% of Wirral employees earn below the real living wage, above regional and national levels. Unemployment is 3.6%, higher than regional and close to national, though increasing. Of the number of people aged 16-64 and in employment, 89.9% are estimated to be employees, whilst 10.1% are estimated to be self-employed. Wirral has the highest proportion of self-employed across the Cheshire and Merseyside footprint, but is below the national rate of 12.3%.

Ensure a healthy standard of living for all

Ward

• In 2022, 15.2% of Wirral households were in fuel poverty, higher than England (13.1%) but similar to the North West (14.1%). This has risen from 12.2% in 2018. Fuel poverty is most concentrated in the most deprived wards, with roughly 25% of households in Seacombe and Birkenhead and Tranmere affected, compared to fewer than 10% in more affluent areas like Heswall and Greasby, Frankby and Irby.
  
  

Local Authority

• In 2022, 15.2% of Wirral households were in fuel poverty, up from 12.2% in 2018. This rate is higher than the national average and similar to the regional average, placing Wirral second highest in both the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire and Merseyside footprints. 8.1% of children under 16 lived in workless households, a rate significantly lower than the national average (10.2%) and similar to the regional average (12.9%). For dependent children the figure was 8.3%, which is similar to national (9.9%) and better than regional levels (12.4%). 

Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities

Local Authority

• In 2023/24, 0.6 per 1,000 households were in temporary accommodation in Wirral. Nationally, regionally, and locally, the ongoing trend shows an increase in this rate. Despite these increases, Wirral has, historically, had a lower rate than England and the North West. This is also true for the latest year, where England had a rate of 4.6 per 1,000 and the North West had a rate of 2.4 per 1,000.

Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention

Local Authority

• In 2022-23, 61.8% of Wirral adults were classed as ‘active’, slightly below national (63.4%) and regional (62.1%) estimates. Estimates of 'inactivity' fell to 25.0%, the lowest rate since 2019-20, indicating positive health trends. Wirral ranks the lowest in inactivity levels across the Liverpool City Region, showing it is the most active local authority in the Liverpool City Region. Latest data show 7.2% of adults report feeling lonely often, or always, in Wirral. This is slightly above England (6.8%), but below the North West (7.5%).

Tackle Climate change and health equity in unison

Local Authority

• Latest data (2023) show that an estimated 16.8% of adults in Wirral walk for travel at least three days per week. This compares to 16.7% in the North West, and 18.6% in England. The recent trend shows that this proportion is increasing, with estimates of 10.8% in 2021 and 11.2% in 2022.

Child Poverty

Ward

• Latest figures (2023/24) show that the four most deprived wards (Birkenhead & Tranmere, Bidston & St James, Rock Ferry and Seacombe) have the highest proportion of children in low income households, by both income types, absolute low income and relative low income. In the most recent year, the proportion of children in low income households in Wirral has increased for both relative low income (+0.2%) and absolute low income (+1.5%).

Local Authority

• Latest figures at local authority level (2023/24) show that, of the local authorities in the Liverpool City Region, Wirral ranks the 2nd lowest for the proportion of children in both relative and absolute low income households. Wirral has historically had a lower proportion of children in absolute and relative low income households compared to North West and England. The ongoing trend, since 2020/21, however, shows this proportion has increased locally, for both versions of low income households.

School Readiness

Ward

• Latest (2023/24) ward-level data show significant differences in early childhood development across the borough, with a difference of 24.5 percent between the lowest performing Ward (Seacombe) and the highest performing Ward (Clatterbridge).

Local Authority

• In 2023/24, 83.3% of children aged 2-2.5 years achieved a good level of development in Wirral. Despite a slight decrease since 2020/21, latest figures are above both England (80.4%) and the North West (80.8%). Good level of development drops to 66.2% at Reception year. This is lower than England (67.7%) but higher than the North West (64.4%). In Wirral, there is a significant difference in good level of development at Reception year by gender, with latest figures showing 73.4% of girls compared to 59.4% of boys achieving a good level of development.

Educational Attainment

Local Authority

• Latest figures (2023/24) shows Attainment 8 is 44.4, with girls in Wirral (46.5) outperforming boys (42.3). These are the highest of any local authority within the Liverpool City Region, with overall figures just slightly below both the North West (44.5) and England (46.1). In 2023/24, Wirral's Progress 8 score was -0.2, showing below average progress overall. Despite this, it is the closest to 0 of the local authorities within in the Liverpool City Region.

Vulnerable Children

Local Authority

• Latest data (2023/24) shows that Wirral has the 2nd lowest rate of hospital admissions for self-harm for 10-24 year olds across Cheshire and Merseyside (252.1 per 100,000), with only Liverpool being lower (141.0). However, since 2021/22, a new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) system was introduced which has significantly reduced the rate of admissions, so care should be taken when using this data.

Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

Local Authority

• Latest data (2023/24) shows that the proportion of 16-17 year olds that were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Wirral was 4.9%. This was not significantly different to England, but significantly lower than the North West. For the past 3 years, the proportion of 16-17 year olds who are NEET has increased, from a low point of 4.1% in 2021/22 to 4.9% in 2023/24.

Level 2 Qualifications

Local Authority

• Latest data (2022/23) shows that the proportion of pupils achieving level 2 qualifications at 19 years old in Wirral was 83.9%. There is a difference between males (80.9%) and females (87.0%) in Wirral for this time period. There is no significant difference between Wirral's proportion for the latest year (83.9%), with England (84.4%) and the North West (83.3%).

• Data coming soon

• Data coming soon

• Data coming soon