Defra maintains a wealth of Rural Evidence for policy makers — the people on the ground who are delivering rural strategy — and anyone else with an interest in rural economies and communities.

To produce its rural statistics, Defra takes data from across Government and from other sources and applies a rural definition to show the differences between different types of rural and urban areas.

On these pages you can find:

• What do we mean by ‘rural’?
• Statistics for local areas
• Statistics about living in rural areas
• Statistics about the rural economy
• Statistics about the English Uplands
• Publications

The Statistical Digest of Rural England is a collection of statistics on a range of social and economic policy areas. The next update will be published in January 2013.

You can email Defra’s Rural Statistics Unit or telephone us on 01904 455251.