New Insights from the Economic Wellbeing Explorer

In the final week of May, we experienced a sampling error which has resulted in a 20% decreased sample size in our Economic Wellbeing Explorer indicators. In this update we explore how some of our regular indicators are more heavily impacted by sample sizes than others.  

• Overdrawn Accounts shows where balances dip below £0 on two or more occasions in a month 
• Low Emergency Resilience shows where balances dip below £100 on two or more occasions in a month 
• Living Beyond Means shows where people are spending 120% of their income each month 
• Benefits Reliance shows where income from certain benefits is 20% or more of total income 

You can explore these indicators alongside open contextual data on housing, education, health and more in the Economic Wellbeing Explorer. The data within the Explorer has been refreshed to the 31st of May 2026 with weekly data points.   

At a glance: 

The number of account holders with low emergency resilience has decreased, with a 2.43%-point decrease in Scotland and Wales, and a 3.31%-point decrease in England; as well as a slight decrease in overdrawn accounts, with decreases from 0.25-0.38%-points across Great Britain. There has however been an increase in account holders living beyond means with Scottish account holders increasing 0.2%-points, English by 1.83%-points and Welsh by 1.29%. This is matched by an increase in benefits reliance within the sample, with increases from 1.01-1.29%-points.  

A snapshot across the nations shows similar levels across regions with the most variability and largest shifts within low emergency resilience:  

Overdrawn accounts – Minimal impact 

It appears that overdrawn accounts have stayed within the previous range, now at 15.19% in Scotland, 15.96% in England, and 17.39% in Wales. This is a slight decrease for all regions; England (16.34%) and Wales (17.69%) and Scotland (15.44%). 

Living Beyond Means – Some impact 

It appears that people living beyond means have largely stayed within the previous range, but has slightly more variance than previous weeks. Now at 12.34% in Scotland, 12.92% in England, and 11.52% in Wales. This is a slight increase for all regions; England (11.09%) and Wales (10.23%) and Scotland (12.32%). 

Low Emergency Resilience – Large impact 

It appears that people with low emerency resilience shown a large change with the smaller sample size, with a decrease on previous weeks as seen in the graph below but has also decreased month on month. Now at 32.18% in Scotland, 33.93% in England, and 36.04% in Wales. This is a decrease for all regions; England (37.24%) and Wales (38.47%) and Scotland (34.61%). 

Benefits Reliance – Large impact 

It appears that benefits reliance has also shown a large change with the small sample size, with an increase on previous weeks as seen in the graph below but has also inecreased month on month., but has slightly more variance than previous months. Now at 7.64% in Scotland, 7.8% in England, and 9.46% in Wales. This is an increase for all regions; England (6.7%) and Wales (8.17%) and Scotland (6.63%). 

Noticeable when looking at deeper breakdowns of this data was that younger people and those with lower incomes tended to have a greater variance due to the smaller sample size, particularly for low emergency resilience and benefit reliance. This may be due to the proportion within the sample, or wider economic trends.