State of the Region 2025 report sets out opportunities and challenges for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

State of the Region 2025 report sets out opportunities and challenges for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has published its State of the Region 2025 report, providing the most comprehensive picture yet of the area’s economy, communities, environment and opportunities for the future.

The report, produced by the Combined Authority, brings together data and analysis across nine themes – from business and skills, to health, transport, housing, climate resilience and nature – offering a robust evidence base to guide investment decisions, strategy and policy across the region.

Key findings include:

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s economy has grown faster than the national average since 1998, driven by global strengths in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
• Total employment has grown by 6.5% since 2017, matching national trends, with particularly strong jobs growth in life sciences and healthcare (up 67.6% since 2017).
• The region is home to 19% of England’s highest quality agricultural land, underlining its importance to UK food security.
• Transport challenges remain, with far more people able to reach jobs and services by car than by bus.
• Health and wellbeing outcomes vary significantly, with lower healthy life expectancy and higher avoidable mortality in Fenland and Peterborough compared to other areas.
• Overall wellbeing levels remain high, with average life satisfaction across the region rated between 7.0 and 8.0 out of 10.
• Flood risk is a major issue, with over a third of land across the region at risk from rivers , rising to more than 80% in Fenland.
• While Cambridge leads globally on science, research and innovation, inequalities persist across skills, earnings and housing affordability.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, said:

‘This report is a reality check – showing where we are doing well as a region, and where we must do better. It proves beyond doubt that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has world-class assets in science, innovation and enterprise, but also faces entrenched inequalities that hold people back. That’s why my priorities are focused on growth, connectivity, jobs, homes and resilience – because these are the levers that will make the biggest difference to people’s daily lives.’

‘We want to create the right conditions for businesses to thrive, deliver quality homes people can afford, improve transport so rural and urban communities are properly connected, and ensure our region is resilient in the face of climate and economic pressures. The State of the Region provides the evidence base we need to make the right choices and to press government for the investment and powers to deliver a better future for our communities.’

The report builds on extensive collaboration with local councils, universities, health partners, business groups, and the Office for National Statistics, ensuring decisions are grounded in the best available data. It will be updated quarterly through the Combined Authority’s data portal, keeping insight current and accessible.

The State of the Region 2025 report and interactive data portal can be accessed here: https://cpca.dashboards.cityscience.com/