Population and social change - keeping track of the trends

Some fascinating data from the latest UK Social Trends survey highlights some fundamental changes that have taken place in the UK household structure…

The Office of National Statistics produces the annual Social Trends survey - which is a goldmine of data and insights into the way we live in the UK.

Some interesting data from the new survey is picked out in this BBC article:

- The proportion of young adults (20-34) living at home with their parents has doubled from 6% in 1971 to 12% in 2008
- The continued decline in the number of marriages
- A further increase in the average age at which women have their first baby

The survey is great for highlighting long-term trends in the size and structure of UK society. For businesses, the data and trends are immensely useful and important. They provide the key external socio/cultural background to investment decisions, new product development, decisions over location and so on.

So if you’re stuck for some ideas for the “S” section of a PEST / PESTEL analysis, or the “O” and “T” quadrants of a SWOT analysis in a forthcoming controlled assessment, then downloading the latest edition of Social Trends might be a smart move.