Deprivation Index

A deprivation index measures an area’s level of deprivation regarding relevant domains such as income, employment, communication, transport, housing, education, and demographics.

For instance, the Townsend deprivation index, which was first described by Peter Townsend, a British sociologist, incorporates unemployment, non-car ownership, non-home ownership, and household overcrowding. This index specifically aims to measure poverty and has been used by many UK health authorities.