24 Mar 2026
A new report from the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) has highlighted the scale and nature of poverty across rural Britain, challenging assumptions that countryside communities are largely affluent.
The report, Rural Poverty in Britain, draws on evidence from a wide range of organisations, including evidence submitted by the Rural Services Network (RSN), alongside focus group research capturing lived experience in rural areas.
It finds that rural poverty is “real, structural and too frequently invisible”, driven by the “rural penalty” – the additional and unavoidable costs of living outside towns and cities.
Higher costs for transport, energy and food, combined with reduced access to services and infrastructure, are placing increasing pressure on rural households. The report also highlights how poverty in rural areas is often undercounted, meaning need is not fully reflected in policy or funding decisions.
The LRRG calls for a comprehensive Rural Strategy, with social and economic mobility at its core and a stronger focus on how rural need is measured and supported.
RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth and Assistant Chief Executive, Nadine Trout attended the report’s launch in parliament and welcomed the growing recognition of rural disadvantage and the strong engagement from rural MPs.
Read the full report here.
