Report

Out of pocket

Think tank: Centre for Cities

Author(s): Guilherme Rodrigues; Valentine Quinio

July 14, 2022

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at the places at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis.

The burden of the cost of living crisis is being felt in every corner of the UK. Nationally, the picture is clear, but much less is known about how the rising cost of living is playing out geographically and what this means for people living in different places across the country. This report sets out what the cost of living crisis is, its drivers, and how the squeeze on disposable incomes is likely to be felt across the UK’s cities and largest towns. It also launches a new cost of living tracker, tracking city-by-city inflation and wage figures to monitor where inflation is hitting hardest, how prices and wages are rising across cities and large towns, and the impact of mounting prices on money in worker’s pockets. The report finds that there is a geography to the cost of living crisis, with inflation higher in the UK’s poorest cities. For example, households in Burnley, Blackburn and Blackpool will likely see higher inflation compared to those in southern cities like London, Reading and Cambridge.