Black people are almost four-times as likely as white people to have no access to gardens, patios or balconies, writes Michael Goodier.
That’s according to new data released by the ONS out today, which shows that one in eight homes in Britain has no garden.
Access to outdoor space – which studies have shown can benefit mental health – has become even more crucial during lockdown, as people have been forced to remain at home.
However, the new data shows there are large regional and demographic differences across Britain when it comes to accessing outdoor space.
Some 37% of black people have no access to outdoor space at home, compared to just 10% of white people.
Several recent datasets have suggested people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
ONS data released on 7 May showed that even after adjusting for age, black men were 4.2-times more likely to die a Covid-19 related death than white men, and black women were 4.3-times more likely to die than white females.
How job types relate to household gardens
And in today’s data, the ONS found that people in “semi-skilled” and “unskilled” manual occupations, casual workers and those who are unemployed were almost three-times as likely to have no garden compared to those in managerial, administrative, or professional jobs.
Londoners also lose out – more than a fifth (21%) of homes in the capital have no access to a private or shared garden.
The gardens that do exist in London are also the smallest in the country – 197 sq m on average, compared to 332 sq m across Britain as a whole.
However, those in the capital are most likely to have a park nearby – with 44% of Londoners living within a five-minute walk of a park, compared to 28% of people across Britain.