The bar chart compares the proportion of households who owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.
Overall, the percentage of those owning a house showed an upward trend, while the figure for rented properties decreased during this time frame. In addition, for most of the period, renting a house was more popular than owning one, while home ownership overtook renting over the final 30 years.
In 1918, nearly 80% of households in England and Wales lived in rented accommodation, while the remaining lived in their own homes. The proportion of renters then dropped to just below 70% in 1939 and stayed there in 1953 before declining dramatically to 50% in 1971. By contrast, the figure for homeowners more than doubled, rising to equal that of renters, at 50% in 1971.
From 1971 onwards, home ownership continued its rising trend to reach a peak of close to 70% in 2001 before dropping by roughly 5% in 2011. The percentage of renters saw a different pattern, with figures experiencing a gradual decline, to just above 30% in 2001, followed by a small rise of 5%.