A new study by Halton Stairlifts has revealed England’s population age gap, with the South Hams having the 10th highest percentage of residents aged over 65.

With an average age of 47.1, 28.7 per cent of our residents (26,113 people) are aged over 65.

North Norfolk takes the top spot in England as the oldest area with 34.18 per cent aged over 65 followed by Rother at 32.52 per cent and East Lindsay at 48.21 per cent while Tower Hamlets has the lowest median age in the country at 5.81 per cent.

Neil McKenzie, director at Halton Stairlifts, commented on the findings, "This data paints a clear picture of how our population is distributed across England, with coastal and rural areas consistently attracting older residents, while London boroughs have the youngest populations in the country.

"The contrast between North Norfolk, where over a third of residents are aged 65 or over, and Tower Hamlets, where less than 6 per cent are in this age bracket, shows the stark demographic differences across our communities.

"This type of population distribution creates unique challenges for local authorities and services.

“Areas with higher proportions of older residents need different support systems compared to younger urban communities.

"The data helps us understand where mobility solutions are most needed.

“When over 30 per cent of a local population is of retirement age, accessibility becomes a key consideration for both public spaces and private homes."

The study used national and subnational mid-year population age estimates from the ONS, broken down by administrative area across England.

Population data was collected from the ONS for each local authority in England and Wales.

The average age and percentage of residents aged 65 and over were calculated for each area.

Areas were then ranked according to the average age in each location.