Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Science & Tech
  2. Coronavirus
14 May 2020updated 04 Sep 2021 12:25pm

ONS: One in eight homes have no garden, ethnic minorities and manual workers have least outdoor space

Black people are almost four times less likely than white people to have access to gardens, patios or balconies during the lockdown, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Access to outdoor space, which studies have shown can benefit mental health, has become even more crucial during lockdown, as people have been forced to remain at home.

The ONS figures show that one in eight homes have no garden, and that there are large regional and demographic differences across Britain when it comes to accessing outdoor space.

Around 37 per cent of black people have no access to outdoor space at home, compared to just 10 per cent of white people.

People in “semi-skilled” and “unskilled” manual occupations, casual workers and those who are unemployed were almost three times as likely to have no garden compared to those in managerial, administrative, or professional jobs.

Select and enter your email address Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend - from the New Statesman. A quick and essential guide to domestic politics from the New Statesman's Westminster team. A weekly newsletter helping you understand the global economic slowdown. The New Statesman’s weekly environment email. Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates.
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Londoners also lose out: more than a fifth (21 per cent) of homes in the capital have no access to a private or shared garden.

The gardens that do exist in London are also the smallest in the country, at 197 square metres on average, compared to 332 square metres across Britain as a whole.

Content from our partners
How placemaking can drive productivity in cities – with PwC
The UK needs SMEs to reach net zero
To truly tackle regional disparities, we need a new type of devolution

However, those in the capital are most likely to have a park nearby, with 44 per cent of Londoners living within a five-minute walk of a park, compared to 28 per cent of people across Britain