Mobility outcomes
State of the Nation 2023 tracked national mobility trends across education, occupation, income, and housing. This year we have updated this analysis with the latest data from the ONS Longitudinal Study (ONS-LS).
On each mobility page, we feature our ONS-LS analysis alongside breakdowns by protected characteristics such as ethnicity and sex.
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Absolute educational mobility
Upward educational mobility has gone up substantially over the last 30 years, with more young people from non-graduate backgrounds getting degrees than their parents.
Read more about absolute educational mobilityRelative occupational mobility trend
The strength of the link in occupational class between children and their parents has stayed fairly steady.
Read more about relative occupational mobilityAbsolute housing mobility
Upward housing mobility (moving from rented to owned accommodation) has gone down significantly, with twice as much downward mobility as upward mobility.
Read more about absolute housing mobilityElsewhere in State of the Nation 2026
Intermediate outcomes focus on the experiences of young people as they move through education and into work.
Drivers of social mobility are the background conditions that make social mobility easier.