The Sussex Intelligence Unit’s (SIU) fifth data briefing asks which sectors make the greatest contribution to the Sussex economy — and how that compares with the South East, England and England excluding London.
The Sussex Intelligence Unit’s (SIU) fifth data briefing asks which sectors make the greatest contribution to the Sussex economy — and how that compares with the South East, England and England excluding London.
Housing inflates the headline numbers
As our briefing explains, high house prices and homeownership inflate Sussex’s headline economy. Owner-Occupiers’ Imputed Rental — the notional value of what homeowners would pay to rent their own homes — accounts for 15.9 per cent of the Sussex economy, against an England average of 9.7 per cent. Removing it reduces the Sussex economy from £51.75 billion to £43.5 billion, a more accurate picture of productive activity.
On that basis, Sussex’s relative strengths are clear and consistent: Human Health & Social Work, Finance & Insurance, Accommodation & Food Service, Transport & Storage and Real Estate all contribute disproportionately against every benchmark. Sussex also has genuine specialist manufacturing distinctiveness — two sub-sectors, petroleum, chemicals and minerals and electronic, optical and electrical equipment, account for 62 per cent of the county’s manufacturing value.
The gap that matters most
The most significant finding is what’s missing. Professional, Scientific & Technical Services and Information & Communications account for just 8.9 per cent of the Sussex economy — compared with 18.2 per cent of the South East’s and 26 per cent of London’s. These are the sectors most associated with high-productivity growth, and their consistent under-representation may be a material constraint on Sussex’s economic future. For the new strategic authority, the question is not just how to grow what Sussex has, but how to build what it lacks.