Recent figures show there will be a population growth of over half a million in rural areas. The Office for National Statistics predicted a 6% increase over the next decade as people sell their lucrative city properties and opt for less stress and more money. To make things even sunnier, the Government has added that people tend to live longer, by 2 and half years, in the countryside.
The influx of citizens to rural England counters the international migration to cities. The Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said it is a “truly exciting time for rural communities, with the countryside set to become even more of an economic powerhouse for the UK. There’s a myth out there that innovation happens in cities — that it happens in major towns. In fact, we’re seeing lots of innovation, lots of exports, new technology start-ups, in rural areas.”
Those relocating from urban spaces tend to be wealthier and are expected to boost the local economy with more expenditure in shops and restaurants and investment in their own businesses. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have even suggested that productivity in the countryside could be higher than that of the city. Migration of economically healthy dwellers into the countryside could lead to an increase in employment of more than 300,000 by 2025, according to their findings. If such forecasts materialise, it also has the potential to alter the political landscape; rural voters being able to feel the benefits of the nation's elusive economy.
