Domesday Live

Why is the North poorer than the South?

Regional gaps in the UK are among the widest in Europe. The North grew less because the heavy industry it depended on declined from the 1970s and nothing at the same scale replaced it, while London and the South East attracted finance, services and skilled workers. Poorer transport, lower investment and skills keep the gaps in place.

Why it happens

• Industrial decline. Coal, steel, shipbuilding and textiles employed whole towns. When they closed, jobs were replaced by lower-paid ones, and many people left or stayed out of work.
• London pulls ahead. Finance, law and technology cluster in London, where high pay draws in skilled people. That raises house prices and pay in the capital.
• Transport and investment. Slow links between northern cities and less public and private investment per person reduce the pull of those areas for businesses.
• Skills and health. Fewer people with degrees and more long-term ill health keep productivity and employment lower.