East of England: official statistics
The East of England (ONS code E12000006, often labelled simply "East" in ONS tables) covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. With 45 local authority districts in the ONS mid-2025 estimates, it has more councils than any region except the South East: Essex's 12 districts plus Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, Hertfordshire's 10, Norfolk's 7, Suffolk's 5, Cambridgeshire's 5 plus Peterborough, and the Bedfordshire unitaries of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton.
"East Anglia" has no official statistical boundary of its own; figures for it are usually built from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire council data. Labour market figures on this page update automatically from the ONS.
Figures from the ONS update automatically when a new release comes out; the others show the latest value when we last checked, with its period.
Construction, property and life sciences
Of the region's £215.8 billion gross value added in 2024, construction made up 9.0%, the largest share of any English region (UK 5.9%), and real estate 16.2% (UK 14.5%), according to the ONS regional GVA by industry. Pharmaceutical manufacturing was 2.4% of output, more than twice its UK share, and computer, electronic and optical products 1.0% (UK 0.6%).
Finance and insurance was 4.3% of GVA (UK 8.0%) and information and communication 4.0% (UK 6.1%). GVA is counted where the work is done, so the earnings of residents who commute into London are not part of these figures.
Income and output
GDP per head was £36,942 in 2024, fourth among the English regions, while gross disposable household income per head was £26,795, third highest and 3.2% above the UK average in the ONS GDHI release. The ONS notes that GDP per head can be distorted by people commuting between regions, while household income is counted where people live. Real GDP grew 0.9% in 2024 (ONS regional GDP). House prices in the devolved nations are covered in Northern Ireland's average house price; Scotland's output is in Scotland's GDP.
Lowest unemployment in England
In May to July 2026 the unemployment rate was 3.8%, the lowest of the nine English regions and down from 4.8% a year earlier. The employment rate was 78.0% and inactivity 18.8%. The claimant count rate was 3.9% in August 2026. A one-point fall in a year is large for a regional survey estimate, so check the ONS regional labour market bulletin for confidence intervals before relying on it.
Median full-time pay for jobs in the region was £38,597 in April 2025, third highest after London and the South East. Pay for residents, including those commuting into London, is published separately by the ONS by place of residence.
Housing
The average house price was £337,518 in July 2026, third highest in England and only 0.5% up on a year earlier. Flats averaged £190,128 and detached homes £524,064. Private rents averaged £1,289 a month in August 2026, up 3.5%.
Price differences within the region are large, from Hertfordshire commuter towns to Fenland and coastal Norfolk; the Land Registry tool gives each council area separately.
Population growth
The population was 6,613,801 at mid-2025, up 42,771 (0.7%), the second fastest growth in England after the North West. Births and deaths almost balanced (a natural increase of 357). The region gained a net 25,154 people from elsewhere in the UK, second only to the South East, and 17,595 from abroad. The median age was 41.9. Essex is the largest county, with 1,576,125 residents.
Mayors and devolution
The only established mayoral authority is the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, listed in the GOV.UK Mayoral Strategic Authority funding note. Greater Essex and Norfolk and Suffolk are on the Devolution Priority Programme. In December 2025 the government said it was considering holding their first mayoral elections in May 2028, after local government reorganisation. Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire are not part of a strategic authority.
Questions about East of England
What is the population of the East of England?
6,613,801 at mid-2025, according to ONS estimates. It grew 0.7% in the year, mostly through people moving in from other parts of the UK and from abroad.
What is the average salary in the East of England?
Median full-time pay for jobs located in the region was £38,597 a year in April 2025 (£766.60 a week), third highest of the English regions, in provisional ONS ASHE data.
What is the average house price in the East of England?
£337,518 in July 2026 on the UK House Price Index, 0.5% higher than a year earlier.
What is the unemployment rate in the East of England?
3.8% in May to July 2026, the lowest of England's nine regions. The live figure above refreshes each month.
Is there an East of England or East Anglia mayor?
Not for the whole region. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has a combined authority mayor. The government said in December 2025 that it was considering May 2028 for the first mayoral elections in Greater Essex and in Norfolk and Suffolk.
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Official sources: ONS labour market in the regions of the UK · Nomis labour market profile: East · ONS population estimates for England and Wales · ONS regional gross disposable household income · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority · GOV.UK: funding for Devolution Priority Programme areas
Other regions: East Midlands · London · North East · North West · South East · South West · West Midlands · Yorkshire and the Humber