The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011

The bar chart compares the proportion of families who owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales over a 93-year period (1918 – 2011). Overall, during the first half of the period, the percentage of households in rented accommodation was higher than that of those owning their own home, while an opposite trend was observed over the final 30 years. Looking at the chart in more detail, in 1918, families renting accommodation accounted for just over 75%, triple that of those in owned accommodation. This figure dropped dramatically to 50% in 1971, despite a period of stability between 1939 and 1953. By contrast, the proportion of households in owned accommodation more than doubled, with the figure standing at just under 25% in 1918, remaining stable at around 30% from 1939 to 1953 before rising to equal those in rented accommodation. From 1981 to 2001, the proportion of families owning a home continued its rising trend to reach a peak of nearly 70% before dropping by 5% in 2011. The percentage of tenants saw a different pattern, with numbers experiencing a gradual decline to just above 30% in 2001, followed by a small rise of 5%.