The bar chart illustrates the percentage of households in England and Wales that owned or rented accommodation from 1918 to 2011.
Overall, there was a significant shift from renting to homeownership over the years, with ownership steadily increasing and surpassing renting by 1981. However, a slight decline in homeownership was observed in 2011.
In 1918, the vast majority of households (around 80%) lived in rented accommodation, while only about 20% owned their homes. This pattern remained largely unchanged in 1939 and 1953, with slight growth in homeownership. However, by 1961, ownership had risen significantly, and by 1971, it reached nearly 50%, making it almost equal to renting.
The trend continued, and in 1981, homeownership surpassed renting for the first time at about 60%. It peaked in 2001 at nearly 70%, while the percentage of renters declined. However, in 2011, there was a slight drop in homeownership, while renting became more common again.