OverviewDemographicsEarningsIndustryHousing

Forest of Dean

Economic profile. Data last updated 2026-03-28.

Forest of Dean supports 24,050 workplace jobs with median earnings 11% above the England average.

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Population

89,753

↑ 9.6%

England: 58,620,101

Workplace Jobs

24,050

Median Annual Earnings

£36,589

67th of 348

England: £33,080

Median House Price

£304,724

↑ 1.8%67th of 348

England: £290,000

Price-to-Earnings

8.3x

GVA per Job

£60,824

169th of 391

England: £63,763

Source: ONS, Nomis, HM Land Registry, 2024-2025·Last updated March 2026

Demographics & Population

Mid-year population estimates (2024) and Census 2021 age profile.

Mid-year population estimate of 89,753. Population has grown by 9.6% over five years, significantly below the England rate of 11.4%. Working-age population (58.3%) is below the England average.

Population

89,753

England: 58,620,101

Working-Age (16-64)

58.3%

England: 62.9%

Under 16

16.1%

Over 65

25.6%

Source: ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates, Census 2021, 2024·Last updated March 2026

Earnings & Income

Gross annual earnings distribution, 2025.

Median annual earnings of £36,589 are above the England median of £33,080.

Median Annual

£36,589

England: £33,080

10th Percentile

N/A

90th Percentile

N/A

90/10 Ratio

N/A

Gender Pay Gap

Gender pay gap data is not available for this area (likely suppressed due to small sample size).

Gender Pay Gap

N/A

England: 28.2%

Source: ASHE via Nomis, 2025·Last updated March 2026

Industry Structure

Location quotients and shift-share analysis for Forest of Dean's economy.

The most specialised sectors are Agriculture, forestry & fishing (LQ 7.37) and Manufacturing (LQ 1.95). Accommodation & food service shows the strongest local competitive advantage. Manufacturing underperforms its national sectoral trend.

Largest Sector

Manufacturing

Most Specialised

Agriculture, forestry & fishing

England: LQ 7.37

Fastest Growing

Accommodation & food service

Specialised Sectors

5

England: LQ > 1.25

Source: BRES via Nomis, 2020-2024·Last updated March 2026

Housing & Property Market

Estimated house prices for Forest of Dean vs England, 2015-2025.

The median house price of £304,724 is above the England median of £290,000. The price-to-earnings ratio is 8.3x. Prices have risen 1.8% over the past year.

Median Price

£304,724

England: £290,000

Price-to-Earnings

8.3x

12-Month Change

1.8%

Source: HM Land Registry, Census 2021, 2015-2025·Last updated March 2026

Benchmark to national figures

Comparing Forest of Dean to England and Great Britain averages.

Forest of Dean's median earnings of £36,589 are 11% above the England average of £32,909. House prices are 11% above the England median. The claimant rate of 2.7% is lower than the GB average of 3.5%.

Median earnings

£36,589

England: £32,909(11% above)
GB: £32,401(13% above)

Median house price

£304,724

England: £274,076(11% above)
GB: £269,841(13% above)

Claimant rate

2.7%

England: 3.6%(0.9pp lower)
GB: 3.5%(0.8pp lower)

GVA per job

£60,824

England: £61,178
GB: £61,125

Working-age population

58.3%

England: 62.1%(3.8pp lower)
GB: 61.9%(3.6pp lower)

Population change (5yr)

9.6%

England: 11.5%(1.9pp lower)
GB: 10.3%(0.7pp lower)

Country averages computed from local authority-level data (England: 294 LAs, GB: 348 LAs). May differ slightly from official published national statistics.