The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is in East London, and forms part of Inner London. It has a population of 312,273 (Census 2021).
The grid below shows how Tower Hamlets compares against London overall on key poverty and inequality indicators. Red text denotes the fact that Tower Hamlets is worse than the selected comparison group for that indicator, and green means it is better.
Use the dropdown filter on the right to select different types of comparison. You can compare the borough with:
- All other London boroughs
- The average in the rest of England
- Boroughs in the same London Plan area
- CIPFA nearest statistical neighbours. This means the boroughs in London that are statistically similar to Tower Hamlets, with similar demographics and socio-economic profiles. Find out more about this and which boroughs are Tower Hamlets' statistical nearest neighbours here.
Tower Hamlets indicator rankings
Poverty and living standards
Child poverty rate
Child poverty rate (AHC)
Worse compared to all London Boroughs (32%)
Worse compared to England (31%)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 35.5%)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (37%)
Income deprivation
Income deprivation (relative to London overall)
Worse compared to all London Boroughs ( 1)
Worse compared to England (0.8)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 1.44)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (1.5)
Pay inequality
80:20 ratio of earnings
Average compared to all London Boroughs (2.48)
Worse compared to England (1.59)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 2.47)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (2.48)
Poverty rate
Poverty rate
Worse compared to all London Boroughs (25.93%)
Worse compared to England (22.01%)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 29.5%)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (25%)
Housing and homelessness
Evictions
Repossessions per 1,000 households
Average compared to all London Boroughs (2.5)
(Data not available)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 3.04)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (1.49)
Homeless acceptances
Main homelessness duty owed per 1,000 households
Better compared to all London Boroughs (1.24)
(Data not available)
Better compared to London Planning Area (East - 1.1)
Better compared to nearest neighbours (1.7)
Housing affordability
Median rent as a percentage of median pay
Average compared to all London Boroughs (46.4%)
Worse compared to England (24.9%)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 40.65%)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (51.4%)
Housing delivery
Average net affordable, social and discounted housing completions
Better compared to all London Boroughs (353)
(Data not available)
Better compared to London Planning Area (East - 324)
Better compared to nearest neighbours (246)
Rough sleeping
People seen sleeping rough by outreach
Average compared to all London Boroughs (219)
(Data not available)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 232.5)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (337)
Temporary accommodation
Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000
Average compared to all London Boroughs (17.6)
Worse compared to England (4.73)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 20.11)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (22.95)
Work, worklessness and benefits
Benefits
Out-of-work benefits
Average compared to all London Boroughs (13.5%)
(Data not available)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 15.4%)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (16.2%)
Low pay (resident)
Proportion of borough residents' jobs that are low paid
Average compared to all London Boroughs (17.5%)
(Data not available)
Better compared to London Planning Area (East - 19.8%)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (11.5%)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate
Worse compared to all London Boroughs (5.1%)
Worse compared to England (3.8%)
Worse compared to London Planning Area (East - 5.2%)
Worse compared to nearest neighbours (4.8%)
Unemployment rate change
Unemployment rate 1 year change
Average compared to all London Boroughs (0.5pts)
(Data not available)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 0.5pts)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (0.7pts)
Health
Infant mortality
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births
Average compared to all London Boroughs (3.3)
Average compared to England (3.9)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 3.3)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (3.8)
Premature mortality
Deaths of <75 year olds per 100,000
Worse compared to all London Boroughs (305)
Average compared to England (342)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 347)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (364)
Education
GCSE attainment
Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 9-4
Average compared to all London Boroughs (71.2%)
Average compared to England (65.4%)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 69.35%)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (65.6%)
No qualifications
Proportion with no qualifications
Average compared to all London Boroughs (6.7%)
Average compared to England (7.4%)
Average compared to London Planning Area (East - 6.3%)
Average compared to nearest neighbours (6.2%)
Qualifications at 19
19 year olds without level 3 qualifications
Average compared to all London Boroughs (28.8%)
Better compared to England (34.6%)
Better compared to London Planning Area (East - 30.25%)
Better compared to nearest neighbours (36.1%)