Facts and figures

There are several very useful sources of facts and figures about the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the people who live in it. One of the most comprehensive is the statistics collected by each national park in England and Wales for the purpose of measuring changes to their ‘special qualities’, those things for which each park was designated in the first place. This information is contained in a report called The State of the Park which each national park produces once every five years.

Another important source of information is nationally collected census information which gives a snapshot of the park’s population every 10 years.

In December 2006 the Council for National Parks (CNP) commissioned a report called Prosperity and Protection which investigated the economic benefits of the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the Peak District national parks in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Census data and the National Park

In 2001 a nationwide census was carried out, counting all people and households in the UK today.

Since 1801, a Census has taken place every 10 years, and it is the most complete source of information about the population that we have. As it asks the same core questions, it is possible to compare different parts of the country.

The census gives a picture of the nation. It counts the numbers of people living in each city, town and country area, and reveals information about each area and its population, including the balance of young and old, what jobs people do, and the type of housing they live in.

The following downloadable files interpret the 2001 census data for the Yorkshire Dales National Park as a whole, and are then broken down into the main dales.

The document Headline Data gives an overview of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Click on the link below to download a copy.

• Census Headline Data (opens Document Library)

This file highlights key population trends for the National Park since 1991, and gives figures for total population, age structure, gender, net migration, housing, employment, occupation groups, travel to work and car ownership.

We have also interpreted and grouped the census data by sub-areas. These correspond to the main dales, or parts of them, making it possible to compare the 2001 data with the 1991 Census to reveal 10 year trends. The document Census Trends 1991-2001 by Dale gives a summary of these trends.

• Census Trends 1991-2001 by Dale (opens Document Library)

The main document is divided into the following geographical areas:

You can download copies of all these files by going to our Document Library  (opens Document Library)

Mid Wensleydale
Upper Wensleydale
Coverdale
Swaledale and Arkengarthdale
Upper Wharfedale
Mid Wharfedale
Lower Wharfedale
Littondale
Three Peaks
Lower Ribblesdale
Malhamdale
South Lakeland

The State of the Park Report

The information contained in the State of the Park report is intended to help the Authority, its partners and the public to identify and track changes in the condition of the Park’s special qualities so that we can:

• monitor progress in achieving the aims and objectives set out in the National Park Management Plan
• measure whether the overall ‘quality of life’ in the Park is improving
• identify the key issues that will need to be considered as part of future updates of the National Park Management Plan

To download a copy of State of the Park 2005 from our Document Library, click on the link below:

• State of the Park 2005 (opens Document Library)

A summary of the statistics held in the most recent State of the Park Report can be found in the Park Profile. To download a copy click on the link below.

• Park Profile 2007 (opens Document Library)

Council for National Parks Prosperity and Protection Report

The CNP Prosperity and Protection report was funded by the National Park Authorities for the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the Peak District, Yorkshire Forward, Defra, Natural England, the Ramblers’ Association, the Nationwide Building Society and the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust.

The main findings relating to the Yorkshire Dales National Park were:

• Each year 11.5 million visitor days are spent in the Yorkshire Dales,
• Of the £660 million total that the visitors to the three National Parks spent in the region, £345 million was spent by visitors to the Yorkshire Dales.

To download a copy of the summary or full report from our Document Library, click on the relevant link below:

• Prosperity and Protection Summary Report (opens Document Library)
• Prosperity and Protection Full Report (opens Document Library)