Merton

Overview

Merton is an outer London borough located in south London. It has a relatively low rate of children who are living in households in poverty (37%, compared to the 39% in the typical London borough). 

Merton has a GCSE attainment rate very similar to the London average, with the borough seeing 68.8% of students gaining good GCSEs compared to 68.7% in the capital overall. 

The grid below shows how Merton compares against London overall on key poverty and inequality indicators. Red text denotes the fact that Merton is worse than is typical for London on that indicator, and blue means it is better.

Merton indicator rankings

People

Infant mortality

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births

2.5

Better compared to all London Boroughs (3.4)

Better compared to England (3.9)

Better compared to London Planning Area (South - 3.65)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (3.9)

Premature mortality

Deaths of <75 year olds per 100,000

304

Average compared to all London Boroughs (316)

Average compared to England (336)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 302)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (298)

Qualifications at 19

19 year olds without level 3 qualifications

32.5%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (24.4%)

Average compared to England (27.8%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 32.25%)

Worse compared to nearest neighbours (23.4%)

Data sources and methods

Living standards

Child poverty rate

Child poverty rate (AHC)

32%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (35%)

Average compared to England (29.3%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 27.5%)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (36%)

Income deprivation

Income deprivation (relative to London overall)

0.67

Better compared to all London Boroughs ( 1)

Average compared to England (0.8)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 0.65)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (0.82)

Pay inequality

80:20 ratio of earnings

2.72

Average compared to all London Boroughs (2.64)

Worse compared to England (1.94)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 2.62)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (2.65)

Poverty rate

Poverty rate

16%

Better compared to all London Boroughs (27%)

Average compared to England (22.1%)

Better compared to London Planning Area (South - 21%)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (26%)

Data sources and methods

Housing

Evictions

Repossessions per 1,000 households

2.07

Average compared to all London Boroughs (2.42)

Average compared to England (1.51)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 1.765)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (2.06)

Homeless acceptances

Main homelessness duty owed per 1,000 households

0.13

Better compared to all London Boroughs (0.74)

Average compared to England (0.42)

Better compared to London Planning Area (South - 0.52)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (0.43)

Housing affordability

Median rent as a percentage of median pay

45.3%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (46.3%)

Worse compared to England (26.4%)

Worse compared to London Planning Area (South - 40.35%)

Worse compared to nearest neighbours (40.6%)

Housing delivery

Average net affordable, social and discounted housing completions

50

Average compared to all London Boroughs (132)

(Data not available)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 50)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (30)

Rough sleeping

People seen sleeping rough by outreach

45

Better compared to all London Boroughs (214)

(Data not available)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 77)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (99)

Temporary accommodation

Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000

2.8

Better compared to all London Boroughs (16.4)

Average compared to England ( 4)

Better compared to London Planning Area (South - 11.05)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (12.2)

Data sources and methods

Shared opportunity

GCSE attainment

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 9-4

73.2%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (75.6%)

Average compared to England (72.2%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 77.15%)

Worse compared to nearest neighbours (79.5%)

No qualifications

Proportion with no qualifications

2.3

Better compared to all London Boroughs (6.7)

Better compared to England (7.4)

Better compared to London Planning Area (South - 4.4)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (5.3)

Data sources and methods

Work

Benefits

Out-of-work benefits

10.3%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (12.7%)

Average compared to England (12.7%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 9.85%)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (10.9%)

Low pay (resident)

Proportion of borough residents' jobs that are low paid

20.6%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (20.2%)

Average compared to England (17.2%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 19.8%)

Better compared to nearest neighbours (23%)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate

5.8%

Average compared to all London Boroughs (5.3%)

Worse compared to England (4.3%)

Average compared to London Planning Area (South - 5.2%)

Average compared to nearest neighbours (5.6%)

Unemployment rate change

Unemployment rate 3 year change

2.1pts

Worse compared to all London Boroughs (0.2pts)

Worse compared to England (0.0pts)

Worse compared to London Planning Area (South - 0.8pts)

Data sources and methods