Equity release hotspots: uptake by region
Equity release is far more common in some parts of the country than others. This page maps uptake as the number of new plans per 1,000 over-55 homeowners by region. That is usage density, which is a different question from where the most property wealth sits: a region can hold huge housing wealth yet see relatively few people release it, or the reverse. The regional table below is illustrative and clearly labelled as a placeholder.
| Region | Indicative uptake | Status |
|---|---|---|
| South West | About 9 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| South East | About 8 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| East of England | About 8 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| London | About 7 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| Wales | About 6 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| West Midlands | About 6 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| East Midlands | About 5 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| North West | About 5 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | About 5 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| Scotland | About 4 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| North East | About 4 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
| Northern Ireland | About 3 per 1,000 | Illustrative |
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Why uptake clusters where it does
Uptake tends to be higher in southern regions, where house prices are highest and a larger share of older homeowners have substantial equity to draw on. But price is not the whole story. Pension income, the local mix of homeowners versus renters, family circumstances, and how many advisers operate nearby all shape how many people actually go ahead. A region with strong housing wealth but few local advisers can see lower uptake than the wealth alone would predict, which is one reason adviser coverage matters.
How this is measured
A reliable uptake map needs two sources joined. The numerator is the count of new equity release plans by region, from Equity Release Council market data. The denominator is the number of over-55 homeowners in each region, from ONS population and tenure data, so that a large region is not flattered simply for having more people. Dividing one by the other gives plans per 1,000 over-55 homeowners, a fair comparison across regions of different sizes. Until those sources are joined and entered, the table here is illustrative only and labelled as such. Last reviewed June 2026.