Answer extracted from The Responsible Finance Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
Which UK cities are most at risk of losing residents due to air quality concerns?
London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool are the four major UK cities facing the greatest risk of losing residents due to air quality concerns. This finding emerges from research commissioned by Enjoy the Air, a Yonder polling study of 4,000 people across all UK regions, particularly driven by younger demographics who are most likely to vote with their feet.
The data reveals a stark generational divide in how seriously people take air pollution when choosing where to live. Nearly half of 18 to 24-year-olds (48%) stated they would relocate to a city with better air quality, a figure that stands in marked contrast to people over 65 years old and the general population. This willingness among younger adults to prioritize air quality reflects a fundamental shift in what drives residential choice.
As Kate Barnard explains in the episode, the research was designed to reach beyond nominal sampling to capture meaningful regional variation across the UK. The Yonder polling explicitly identified these four metropolitan areas as where the vulnerability to resident migration is most pronounced, making them potential candidates for targeted air quality interventions and policy attention.
"The local authorities in the UK have a legal legislative requirement to document and provide evidence of their air quality and it is quite surprising how many do not meet it."
Kate Barnard — Founder and Chief Executive of Enjoy the Air, an evidence-based air quality intelligence company. After a 22-year corporate career at Rolls-Royce, Barnard founded Enjoy the Air to help local authorities understand and act on air quality data. She describes herself as a data detective and works alongside business partner Errol Kruger to build solutions based on evidence and rigorous analysis.
The research also highlights a broader economic concern for these cities: air quality has become a direct factor in migration decisions, particularly among the demographic cohorts that cities depend on for long-term economic vitality and growth. This poses a genuine challenge to civic planning and suggests that air quality interventions are no longer optional but economically necessary. The full episode discusses how low emission zones and other interventions in cities like London have begun to shift public behaviour, though further data on effectiveness remains contested.
The finding is especially significant given that just 17% of the UK public knows where to find reliable air quality information, a gap that compounds the visibility problem for these vulnerable cities. For local authorities already struggling to meet their legal documentation requirements, the prospect of resident exodus due to poor air quality represents an urgent call to action—both for transparency and for tangible improvements to urban air.
See also
What percentage of young adults aged 18 to 24 would consider relocating to a city with better air quality?
According to research commissioned by Enjoy the Air through Yonder polling of 4,000 people across the UK, 48% of 18 to 24-year-olds would move to a city or place with much better air quality, a stark contrast to older age groups.
Is NatWest open to providing direct investment or lending to CDFIs as part of its ongoing support for the sector?
Yes, NatWest is committed to working with CDFIs, having done so for over 30 years through both direct investment and lending activities as part of broader financial inclusion efforts.
Why is 2023 being described as a record-breaking year for CDFI lending and why does NatWest consider this significant?
The cost of living crisis drove greater volumes of individuals and businesses to CDFIs, contributing to record lending volumes across the sector, demonstrating the vital role these institutions play during economic hardship.
Key takeaways
- London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool face the greatest risk of resident migration due to air quality issues, based on Yonder polling of 4,000 UK residents.
- Young adults aged 18 to 24 show the strongest willingness to relocate (48%), creating a generational divide in how air pollution influences housing and location decisions.
- UK local authorities have legal obligations to document air quality, yet many fail to meet these requirements, leaving residents without reliable information.
- Air quality is now emerging as a direct economic and social factor in urban planning, with implications for city competitiveness and demographic retention.