Sixty-nine percent of all households owned their own home in 2001, compared with 49% in 1971.

• Over the last thirty years increases in home ownership were recorded in every decade with the largest increase coinciding with the right to buy council properties during the 1980s (from 54% in 1981 to 67% in 1991). Within the last five years home ownership has remained relatively constant (between 67% and 69%).

Over the same period (1971-2001):

• The proportion renting council housing increased from 31% in 1971 to 34% in 1981.This was followed by a gradual decline to 24% in 1991 and 15% in 2001.

• The proportion renting from a housing association increased from 1% in 1971 to 6% in 2001. Most of the increase occurred in the last ten years with 3% of households renting from housing associations in 1991 compared with 6% in 2001. Since 1996, an increasing number of local authorities have transferred ownership of their housing to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). This explains, to some extent, the decrease in the proportion of people renting LA (council) housing and the increase in the proportion of people renting from housing associations.

• The proportion of private renters declined sharply during the period 1971 to 1991 (from 20% in 1971 to 7% in 1991). This was followed by a gradual increase to 10% in 1995 and remained constant thereafter. In 2001, 10% of all households were private renters - 7% renting unfurnished accommodation and 3% renting furnished.