What does IMD measure?

The seven domains of deprivation

IMD is built from seven main domains. Each domain contains several indicators that capture a specific aspect of deprivation.

• Income – measures the proportion of people in an area experiencing low income.
• Employment – looks at people who would like to work but are unable to do so because of unemployment, sickness or disability.
• Education, skills and training – brings together measures of school attainment, adult skills and barriers to education and training.
• Health and disability – reflects risk of illness, premature death and quality of life related to health conditions or disability.
• Crime – captures risk of personal and material victimisation in the local area.
• Barriers to housing and services – includes housing affordability, overcrowding and physical access to basic services such as shops or GP surgeries.
• Living environment – looks at housing quality and outdoor environment, including issues such as air quality or road traffic collisions.

Each domain focuses on a different dimension of deprivation, and together they provide a broader picture of disadvantage than income alone could offer.

Supplementary indices for children and older people

In addition to the main index, there are two supplementary indices that focus on income deprivation for particular age groups:

• Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI)
• Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI)

These indices are helpful when you need to understand deprivation for children or older people specifically, for example when planning early years services or support for older residents.

From domains to an overall IMD score

Each domain is combined into an overall IMD score using a set of weights that reflect its importance. Income and employment carry the largest weights because they are seen as central to multiple forms of deprivation.

Once the overall score is calculated for each small area, the areas are ranked from most to least deprived. These ranks are then often grouped into deciles or quintiles to make the results easier to interpret.

Why the mix of domains matters

Two areas can have similar overall IMD ranks for very different reasons. One area might be most affected by employment and income issues, while another might have more challenges around housing, access to services or crime.

Looking beyond the overall rank to the domain scores is important if you want to understand the story behind an area and design a response that fits local needs.