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Flood risk and social deprivation

This is the updated analysis of social deprivation and flood risk, using data from National Assessment of Flood Risk and the Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

From:
Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Environment Agency
Published
25 June 2026
Category:
Increasing resilience to flooding
Topics:
Community response and resilience, Flood risk assessment, Flood risk governance and Health, safety and wellbeing
Project status:
Completed
Project code:
FRS25988
Date of start:
1 October 2025
Date of completion:
29 May 2026

Document

Flood risk and social deprivation - research report

Summary

This is our updated analysis of social deprivation and flood risk. We published our previous analyses in 2006 and 2020. Since then, the data sets used have been updated, including the National Assessment of Flood Risk (NaFRA) and the re-release of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in 2025.

This analysis used the most up to date data available in January 2026.

The aim was to assess whether there is an inequality in the distribution of populations living in areas at flood risk in each IMD decile, nationally in England and within subsamples.

The analysis shows that:

  • inequalities in the scale of exposure to flooding remain in England

  • inequalities exist for flooding from rivers and the sea, and surface water flooding

  • coastal communities experience some of the worst flood risk inequality

  • inequalities are also found in urban areas

  • no inequality in the scale of exposure to flooding was found in rural areas

The report details the data sets used, methodology, results and findings of the analysis.

Project information

Project manager: Anna Lorentzon 

This project was commissioned by the Environment Agency’s FCRM Directorate, as part of the joint Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme.

Updates to this page

Published 25 June 2026