The bar chart illustrates the proportion of households living in rented accommodation in England and Wales over a period of 93 years, from 1918 to 2011.
Overall, the percentage of households renting their homes showed a clear upward trend throughout most of the period, reaching a peak in the early 1990s, before experiencing a slight decline towards the end of the timeframe. Despite some fluctuations in the earlier decades, renting became significantly more common compared to the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1918, only about 10% of households lived in rented accommodation, making it the lowest figure recorded. This proportion rose markedly to approximately 22% by 1939. However, the trend was not entirely consistent, as the figure dropped to around 14% in 1951, before recovering modestly to 17% in 1961.
From 1971 onwards, there was a pronounced and sustained increase. The proportion of renters doubled to 30% in 1971 and continued to rise steadily to 34% in 1981. The highest point was reached in 1991, when nearly 38% of households rented their homes.
After this peak, the trend reversed slightly. The figure declined marginally to 36% in 2001 and fell further to approximately 34% by 2011. Nevertheless, this final figure remained more than three times higher than the level recorded in 1918.