UK Demographics API — Spending Power Index
CACI Acorn, Experian Mosaic, and CAMEO charge thousands per year for geodemographic segmentation. The Demographics Intelligence endpoint delivers Census 2021 data, Indices of Multiple Deprivation, and labour market statistics in a single enriched API call at the postcode level — with a proprietary Consumer Spending Power Index that distils population composition, income, tenure, and deprivation into one actionable number. For retail site selectors, market researchers, and urban planners, it replaces expensive geodemographic subscriptions with pay-per-query intelligence.
What You Get
- •Consumer Spending Power Index (0-100): proprietary composite of earnings, deprivation, employment, tenure, and economic activity
- •Census 2021: population, households, owner/social/private rented tenure percentages, economic activity rate
- •Deprivation: IMD rank and decile, domain ranks for income, employment, education, health, crime
- •Labour market: median weekly earnings, employment rate, claimant count
- •Location context: postcode, LSOA, local authority, region
Data Sources
ONS Census 2021
The most comprehensive UK population survey, conducted once per decade. 2021 Census data covers population, age, ethnicity, religion, housing tenure, qualifications, health, economic activity, and travel to work for every area in England and Wales.
Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
The official measure of relative deprivation in England. Ranks every LSOA (neighbourhood) across seven domains: income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing, and living environment. Published by MHCLG.
Nomis (ONS)
The most granular UK labour market statistics. Earnings, employment, and claimant counts at local authority and ward level. Updated monthly for claimant counts and quarterly for earnings.
Scoring Algorithm
Consumer Spending Power Index
Weighted composite: median earnings (25%), IMD income deprivation (20%), employment rate (15%), home ownership (15%), economic activity (15%), benefit dependency (10%). Designed for retail site selection, market sizing, and consumer targeting.
Use Cases
Retail Site Selection
Franchise operators and retail chains evaluate territories by spending power. The Consumer Spending Power Index combined with Census population data reveals which postcodes have both the people and the purchasing power to sustain a new location.
Market Research
Market research firms segment audiences by geodemographic profile. Census tenure, economic activity, and deprivation indices provide the quantitative foundation that survey-based research builds upon.
Urban Planning & Housing
Housing developers and local authorities assess need by area. Census household data, tenure mix, and deprivation indices reveal where new housing is needed and what type (affordable, shared ownership, market).
Insurance Underwriting
Insurers build location risk models incorporating deprivation, tenure, and economic indicators. IMD crime and income domain ranks feed directly into property and motor insurance pricing.
Example
Request
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ "https://www.ukdatapi.com/api/v1/demographics/SW1A%201AA?depth=standard"
Response
{
"data": {
"location": { "postcode": "SW1A 1AA", "local_authority": "Westminster", "lsoa": "Westminster 018C", "region": "London" },
"spending_power_score": {
"score": 72,
"rating": "HIGH",
"signals": [
{ "factor": "median_earnings", "contribution": 23, "weight": 0.25, "detail": "Median weekly earnings: £750" },
{ "factor": "imd_deprivation", "contribution": 14, "weight": 0.20, "detail": "IMD deprivation decile: 7/10 (mid-range)" }
],
"recommendation": "High spending power. Above-average earnings and economic activity."
},
"census": { "population": 204236, "households": 107300, "owner_occupied_pct": 32.5, "economically_active_pct": 71.2 },
"deprivation": { "imd_decile": 7, "data_available": true },
"labour_market": { "median_weekly_earnings": 750, "employment_rate_pct": 73.5 }
}
}Pricing
| Depth | Credits |
|---|---|
| Summary | 4 |
| Standard | 12 |
| Full | 24 |
Related Endpoints
GET /api/v1/location/{postcode}
UK Location Intelligence API
Profile any UK postcode: crime rates, flood risk, food hygiene, demographics, earnings, health indicators. 7 government sources in one call.
GET /api/v1/market/{postcode}
UK Market Intelligence API
Market research in an API call: labour market data, property prices, competitor density, and Market Opportunity Score. TAM analysis from £0.01/call.
GET /api/v1/political/{postcode}
UK Political API
Political intelligence API: current MP, party, constituency, parliamentary petitions with local signature counts, and Political Engagement Index (0-100). From £0.006/call.