2022 marks the first year free of lockdowns and other restrictions since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as the country begins to recover from the effects of the pandemic, we face new challenges as rising prices have produced a cost of living crisis. As people affected by the crisis are likely to turn to credit as a safety net, understanding the geography of access to credit is as important now as it has ever been.

The Good Credit Index 2022 shows that low credit scores, high need for credit and a lack of access to good sources of credit remain entrenched in certain parts of the UK. While there is a tendency in policymaking to reduce geographic trends to a simple North-South divide, but this year’s Good Credit Index shows a far more nuanced picture.

Given these challenges, we propose a number of policy recommendations to support those with the highest credit need. To read the full report and find out what they are, click here.

Download the full dataset: Excel file/CSV file.