An independent, evidence-led assessment of the West of England economy, highlighting the region’s strengths, structural challenges and opportunities for long-term, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Wages in the West of England perform strongly relative to the national average, excluding London. But there are important internal and sectoral variations that have significant policy implications.

Air travel connects the West of England to the world, boosting productivity and creating local jobs. Yet flying remains one of the highest emission activities. The economic benefits of aviation therefore need to be balanced against its negative environmental consequences.

Heat decarbonisation is where climate policy comes home. For dense urban areas, heat networks can deliver heat, hot water and cooling at scale while improving efficiency and outcomes for residents. Navigating bureaucratic and financial hurdles will be crucial for successful delivery.

The West of England’s journey to net zero road transport by 2030 contains an uncomfortable truth: without rapid behaviour change and bold political leadership, electrification alone won’t deliver. Questions around whether the region can reset its path toward a truly zero-carbon future remain.

Mobile and broadband coverage in the West of England is broadly in line with, or better than the UK average. But investment is needed to close geographic and social digital infrastructure gaps, particularly in BANES. Strengthening digital inclusion across the region would help to ensure that everyone can benefit from future economic growth.

The West of England has a larger share of highly-educated residents than the rest of England – particularly those with university degrees in STEM subjects – which helps support a strong professional and skilled labour market. But there are clear differences between areas within the region, making the overall picture more varied and complex.

Inequality in the West of England is negatively affecting the readiness of the future workforce and long-term economic capacity. The spatial concentrations of early life disadvantage across the region risk’s compounding divergences in the economy.

The West of England continues to outperform national labour market averages, but widening gaps between local authority areas show that while the region performs strongly overall, it is increasingly uneven. This underlines the need for tailored and inclusive policy responses.

Commuting patterns in the West of England show that Bristol is the main hub for jobs in the region. Both graduates and those with fewer qualifications often commute across local authority borders to work. This could weaken local economies as fewer workers are spending money in their home areas during the working week.

Households account for 20% of the West of England’s greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from heating and hot water generation. Interventions to update the existing building stock are key to reducing these emissions, but despite institutional commitments to retrofit, a profound mismatch persists between regional ambitions and operational delivery.

Housing affordability in the West of England is increasingly constraining the region’s ability to grow inclusively and sustainably. Despite distinct local housing markets, a shared trend of rising unaffordability is affecting every local authority across the region.

Air travel remains the highest emitting form of transport, but few alternatives to kerosene-based engine systems currently exist. Could hydrogen be a credible alternative, and how could research and innovation in the West of England support its adoption?

While the West of England's economy performs relatively well compared with England averages, growing and uneven levels of poverty in the region indicate high levels of inequality.

The West of England has a lower underemployment rate than the national average. This is largely explained by resident characteristics, with much of Bristol’s strength coming from lower underemployment among non-STEM graduates. Patterns across different local authorities reflect the mix of sectors based there and where people work rather than live.

In a region shaped by extensive green belt and significant flood risk, where should new building projects go and what pitfalls must they avoid?

Migration in the West of England has grown at a faster pace than other combined authorities in England, albeit from a lower base. Recent change has been shaped by non-European Union (EU) inflows and the rising number of international students, rather than long-established settlement.

Internal mobility is reshaping the West of England. Relocation patterns indicate that people are moving out of city centres and into surrounding areas. As jobs remain concentrated in cities, housing affordability and transport connectivity are essential to sustain the region’s productivity and retain skilled workers.

Against a backdrop of strong labour market performance, challenges related to participation and economic inclusion are hampering the West of England’s long-term economic resilience, with structural inequalities reducing equal access to opportunity.

The West of England’s rapid and sustained post-COVID recovery demonstrates its role as a driver of national growth. The information and communications sector stands out as one regional strength among many, while performance in other industries has been mixed.