Office for National Statistics

City workers walk past the Bank of England in London (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Inflation rises above 2% - what that means for consumers

A police tent in West Park in Wolverhampton following a stabbing.

Watch: Region records highest rate of knife crime offences

Bedford International Athletic Stadium - just one of the many sports facilities in the area

Paris 2024: How many sports facilities are there in Bedford?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Bedford's stagnant job market could suppress business creativity

Essential food items are predicted to significantly increase by 2030. (Photo credit: Stockfotos-MG - stock.adobe.com/Minerva Studio - stock.adobe.com)

How much essential food items could cost by 2030

The average rent in Bedford is £1,025 a month

Rent in Bedford costs more than two-fifths of the average wage

The rainbow flag, a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT) pride

Fewer same-sex marriages in Bedford than before pandemic

Office for National Statistics figures show there were 23 childcare places accessible in Bedford for every 100 children under seven in the area

Childcare in Bedford less accessible than national average

Does your baby's name make the list?

Sofia and Muhammad most popular baby names in Bedford in 2022

In Bedford, 33% of people who provided more than 50 hours of unpaid care reported not having good health in the 2021 Census (Unsplash)

Women expected to spend years longer than men providing unpaid care

The average monthly rent increased from £933 before 2023, to £1,020 last year

New data shows impact of rising costs on renters and homeowners in Bedford

The average monthly rent increased from £933 before 2023, to £1,020

Sonja Tutty, data reporter

Will you be celebrating St George's Day?

St George's Day: How widespread is English identity in Bedford?

File photo of a baby under a blanket. Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Life expectancy in Bedford falls, according to new statistics

The UK has entered a recession

UK enters recession as economy shrinks

Dog Food

I’m a pet food expert: avoid these five ingredients in your dog’s food

John Korchak, Managing Director, Inform Direct

Successful year for company start-ups In Bedfordshire

390 people died from heart and circulatory diseases in Bedford in 2022 – 108 of whom were under 75, and therefore classed as premature (Pixabay)

More than 100 premature heart disease deaths in Bedford

New data from the Office for National Statistics shows 22 deaths from suicide were registered in Bedford in 2022, the most recent year full figures are available

Almost two dozen suicide deaths registered in Bedford

Life satisfaction in Bedford falls during cost-of-living crisis

Christmas Dinner Photo: David Davies.

Cost of Christmas dinner rises more than twice as fast as Bedford wages

Inflation dropped to 3.9% in November, the lowest level in more than two years. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Inflation drops to lowest level in more than two years

Office for National Statistics figures show around 1,025 businesses in Bedford ceased trading in 2022 – up from 870 the year before

More than 1,000 businesses folded in Bedford in 2022

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 44% of households in Bedford were living in homes with a rating of 'D' or below as of March

More than two in five homes in Bedford are suffering poor energy efficiency

Office for National Statistics figures show women in Bedford were earning an average of £15.23 per hour as of April, while men were paid £16.00 – a gap of 4.8%

Women in Bedford earn less than men as gender pay gap widens in Britain

The UK's inflation rate remained at 6.7% last month despite hopes that a third consecutive dip would be seen, with lower food and drink prices offset by higher petrol and diesel prices. (Credit: Getty Images)

UK inflation remains stagnant at 6.7% despite hopes for another dip

Are you trying to quit smoking?

Smoking rates increase in Bedford in the last year

The median wage in Bedford increased by 8.5% in the three months to July

Bedford wages outstrip inflation as UK real-terms pay steadies

The UK economy shrank by 0.5% in July, prompting more recession fears.

Recession fears as UK economy shrinks by ‘more than expected’ in July

The UK economy shrank by 0.5% in July which was worse than analysts expected, prompting more recession fears.

Sophie Wills

A rise in the number of dual citizens is thought to have been driven by migration. Additionally, many eligible people with UK passports have taken up extra ones after Brexit

Number of multiple passport holders in Bedford has more than doubled

There were 1,995 live births in Bedford in 2022 – a fall from 2,223 the year before, and the fewest of any year since at least 2013

Bedford records fewest births in a decade

Estimates from the Office for National Statistics show 21,797 people aged 16 to 64 in Bedford were classed as 'economically inactive' as of March

Tens of thousands of people 'economically inactive' in Bedford

Bedford

Would you recommend Bedford as a holiday location?

John Korchak, Managing Director at Inform Direct - Photo Keith Mindham Photography

Bedfordshire hits milestone number of 50k companies in the county

Bedford residents were most commonly working as warehouse operatives when the census was carried out in 2021, with 3,505 employees in the sector (Image: Pixabay/Mohamed Hassan)

Revealed: The most common jobs in Bedford

Interactive chart shows which supermarkets have biggest price rises

This is the first time inflation has dropped below double digits since August last year - but concerns remain over the rate at which food prices are increasing..

Inflation drops to 8.7%, food costs still high - how it affects you

UK unemployment rate increase - ONS

Spain is Europe's top destination for British expats

More and more Bedford residents own holiday homes

1,643 deaths were registered in Bedford in 2022 – down from 1,782 the year before

Fewer Bedford deaths registered in 2022 than in any year since pandemic began

Census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 3,330 of 78,220 total dwellings in Bedford were unoccupied on census day in March 2021

Thousands of homes left empty in Bedford

GCSE results

More than one in 20 Bedford workers have no qualifications

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 98 deaths from respiratory illness for every 100,000 people in Bedford

Bedford has a higher rate of death from lung conditions than the rest of England

The census figures show 5,000 Bedford residents were not working or looking for work due to long-term sickness or disability

A third of Bedford residents are economically inactive

Surprise jump in February inflation due to salad shortages, food & booze

Shock as inflation rises to 10.4% unexpectedly - what it means

A new study has revealed the top 15 baby names that have ties to Ireland or are of Irish origin which remain popular among parents.

Top 15 most popular Irish baby names

From Rory to Aidan, these are the most popular Irish baby names in England and Wales, according to a new study.

Rahmah Ghazali

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show of the 25,425 people aged between 25 and 34 in Bedford, 16,965 (66.7%) had never been married as of March 2021

Fewer and fewer young people in Bedford are getting married

Census data shows number of people never married rises

Tobacco duty set to rise causing a jump in cigarette prices

15,385 non-dependent children lived in the family home in 2021 in Bedford – significantly up from 11,714 in 2011, when the last census was carried out

More and more adults in Bedford are STILL living with their parents

Top 10 safest places in the UK revealed - is your area on the list?

A rainbow-coloured corner flag in support of LGBT

Over 4,000 of Bedford residents identify with LGB+ sexual orientation

14,332 people in Bedford are looking after someone without being paid

More than one in 20 Bedford residents providing unpaid care

Nigel the young cotton-top tamarin monkey on mother Florencia’s back at Drusillas Zoo Park in Alfriston, East Sussex (Credit: Drusillas Zoo Park/SWNS)

Baby monkey saving endangered species and unpopular name ‘Nigel’

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 14,316 households were renting privately in Bedford when the census was carried out in March 2021 – 19.1% of the 74,949 households in the area

Private renting on the rise in Bedford

Saving money away for a rainy day might be a good idea given the cost of living crisis (image: Adobe)

Workers would need £49,300 salary to feel financially ‘comfortable’