Swindon maintains its top-five position in key economic index

The Borough is ranked fifth in this year’s Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index outperforming Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow, while also coming out ahead of near neighbours Oxford and Reading in the Thames Valley region.

The Index ranks 50 of the UK’s largest cities, excluding London, based on both the public’s assessment and the actual performance of 12 economic measures.

These measures include jobs, health, income, safety and skills, as well as work-life balance, housing, transport, income equality, high street and shops, environment and business start-ups.

Swindon was above average in seven of the 12 indicators, and especially in some of the areas the public values most such as skills, safety, health, jobs, transport, income and health. The only area where it fell very slightly below average was in income distribution.

Swindon also has one of the highest annual GVA growth rates among UK cities, indicating a robust and expanding local economy. Foreign Direct Investment from companies like Thermo Fisher, RWE and TE Connectivity has created new jobs in the Borough with many of the town’s firms producing large quantities of high value goods, while established companies such as Nationwide and Zurich have also produced record profits in recent years.

Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “I am delighted to see Swindon once again outperforming some huge cities in Demos-PwC’s Good Growth for Cities Index.

“It shows what we all know, that Swindon is a great place to live, and a fantastic place for businesses to invest.

“The combination of our high growth and high index score suggests Swindon is not just growing economically, but doing so in a way that aligns with public priorities and sustainable development. This is why, as a pro-growth town we are focusing on house building, and improving our transport infrastructure and public realm.

“The positive showing in the index also highlights the Council’s effectiveness in attracting inward investment, supporting high-value sectors like advanced manufacturing, financial services and tech, investing in infrastructure and regeneration and promoting inclusive economic growth.

“With Panattoni’s £900m investment in the former Honda site continuing at pace, the recent positive news of drone manufacturing firms setting up in the town and our major plans to breathe new life into the town centre through the Knowledge Central train station redevelopment, I have every confidence we will continue to maintain our lofty position in economic league tables in the years to come.”