Communities and neighbourhoods

The Communities Study

The Communities Study explores people's views of their local community and is designed to provide information about how people in England and Wales feel about their local community.

The study has taken place every two years since 2001 across England and Wales. Since 2007 it has been run as a continuous survey. Communities and Local Government is currently on the sixth Communities Study. The results from the study are used to help develop policy to build stronger communities.

Information collected in the study is regularly used to inform central government, local government and a wide range of initiatives across the country. The study helps understanding of what issues are most important for different communities. As the study has been run since 2001, the Department can see how opinions and attitudes have changed over time.

Addresses are chosen at random from a list obtained from the Post Office and people at those addresses are asked to take part in the study. If you have any questions or would like further information on the Communities Study please see the frequently asked questions below.