Analysis of 2012 Electoral Roll identifies decrease in overall opt-out rate but highlights worst hit areas
Direct marketing services and credit data agency Callcredit Information Group has today published its '2012 Regional Electoral Opt-Out Report' for the 2012 canvas.
With 99% of UK councils' electoral rolls now received, the report confirms that opt-out rates have decreased for the second year in a row, with 4.7% fewer people opting out of the edited electoral roll compared to last year. Despite this, opt-out rates still remain significantly high and there are still dramatic disparities between local authorities.
|
Year |
Overall Average Opt Out Rate |
Average Year On Year Increase |
Overall Average Opt Out Rate
|
|
2012 |
40% |
-5% |
|
|
2011 |
45% |
-1% |
|
|
2010 |
46% |
2% |
|
|
2009 |
44% |
4% |
|
|
2008 |
40% |
3% |
|
|
2007 |
37% |
5% |
|
|
2006 |
32% |
3% |
|
|
2005 |
29% |
3% |
|
|
2004 |
26% |
4% |
|
|
2003 |
22% |
- |
Callcredit has also carried out further analysis of demographics to create a profile of a typical 'opt-out' individual, revealing that they are more likely than usual to be single, wealthy, middle-aged and financially astute, among other characteristics.
Callcredit are market leaders in the collection, capture and consolidation of the edited electoral roll, which is a vital tool for marketers looking to verify their own customer database or target potential prospects.
The report highlights the following key findings:
- 30% of councils have seen more than half of their residents opting out, compared to 42% in 2011. The majority of councils have opt-out rates between 20% and 60%.
- 9% of councils have opt-out rates in excess of 60%, a significant fall compared to 16% in 2011.
- Vale of Glamorgan has the highest opt-out rate at 91.9% - an increase of 55% on last year.
- Only two councils, both in Scotland, have opt-out rates below 10%.
The following tables indicate the local authorities with the highest and lowest opt-out rates:
10 Highest Opt-Out Local Authority Areas:
|
Rank |
Local Authority Area |
% Opt Out |
Opt Out Change (%) |
|
1 |
Vale of Glamorgan |
91.97 |
55.24 |
|
2 |
Blackpool |
75.71 |
2.43 |
|
3 |
Epping Forest |
75.35 |
-1.14 |
|
4 |
Shepway |
74.55 |
6.80 |
|
5 |
Tower Hamlets |
74.03 |
5.72 |
|
6 |
Wiltshire |
73.73 |
5.11 |
|
7 |
Horsham |
72.24 |
0.91 |
|
8 |
Eden |
70.45 |
-0.41 |
|
9 |
West Lancashire |
69.79 |
0.59 |
|
10 |
Waveney |
68.78 |
0.20 |
10 Lowest Opt-Out Local Authority Areas:
|
Rank |
Local Authority Area |
% Opt Out |
Opt Out Change (%) |
|
1 |
North Tayside & Angus |
8.79 |
-0.75 |
|
2 |
Perth and Kinross |
9.89 |
-2.27 |
|
3 |
City & County of Swansea |
12.20 |
-28.14 |
|
4 |
Kirklees |
13.54 |
-25.87 |
|
5 |
Walsall |
13.63 |
-22.45 |
|
6 |
Bridgend |
14.01 |
-59.89 |
|
7 |
Rutland |
14.90 |
0.69 |
|
8 |
Neath Port Talbot |
15.30 |
-18.47 |
|
9 |
Merthyr Tydfil |
15.37 |
-14.53 |
|
10 |
Copeland |
15.40 |
3.72 |
Chris Savage, Managing Director of Callcredit Information Group - Marketing Solutions division, said:
"The drop in the number of people choosing to opt out of the edited electoral roll is good news for marketers, particularly in difficult trading conditions, but nevertheless, four in ten UK adults are unavailable for marketing through electoral roll records alone. There are also big disparities across different local authority areas, some of which have seen significant rises in their opt-out figures this year - particularly in Vale of Glamorgan, which has experienced a 55 per cent increase.
"It is vital that marketers understand which areas are most affected and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly, particularly as some of those opting out are likely to have significant spending power. Callcredit's prospect universe provides alternative sources of data, including insurance quotations, demographic surveys, live transactional data and loan applications, covering almost 43 million UK consumers."
