Projections of housing tenure and poverty in older age in Great Britain, 2022-2040

20 June 2024

Independent Age commissioned a team from the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) to generate projections of the proportion of older people (Age 65 years+) in England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) living in different tenures in 20240 and their likelihood of being in (relative) poverty.

The study draws on data from Understanding Society (2009 to present), a longitudinal household panel study that collects annual survey data on the experiences of UK residents on a wide range of social and economic topics. The study uses Waves 2 to 12 of the survey data, covering a data collection period of January 2010 to May 2022.

The study suggests that there will be a notable increase in the proportion of people aged 65+ living in the private rental sector, rising from 4% in 2022 to 13.2% in 2040. There will be a projected decline in the proportion of people aged 65+ living in the owner occupied (82% to 77%) and social renting (15% to 11%) tenures.

The full report is available here.