England Country (Dep) : % of Population on Poor Relief

R_WELFARE = (WELFARE_TOT:total * 100.0) / WELFARE_POP:total

Data Role Period Covered Authority Source Details Method
WELFARE_TOT:total 1859 to 1870 Poor_Law_Board_AR Annual Report Poor Law Board, Annual Report (HMSO) , Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
WELFARE_POP:total 1859 to 1870 CEN Census of Population Census of Population Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
WELFARE_TOT:total 1871 to 1919 LGB_AR Annual Report Local Government Board, Annual Report (HM Stationery Office) , Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area
WELFARE_POP:total 1871 to 1919 CEN Census of Population Census of Population Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area

More details


This rate presents the total number of men, women and children receiving relief as a percentage of the total population as counted by the census. For almost all dates, this rate was much higher in agricultural areas than in industrial districts, and especially in those areas focused on grain production, where much of the workforce was needed only at harvest. The data are available only for the 1st of January and the 1st of July, and rates are almost always much higher in January.


How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, England Country (Dep) through time | Historical Statistics on Work & Poverty | Rate: % of Population on Poor Relief, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10061325/cube/WELFARE

Date accessed: 08th April 2026