Top of the league: The South East has the highest average credit score

People in the South East have an average Experian Credit Score of 795

UK, June 12: People living in the South East of England are top of the league when it comes to credit scores, new analysis reveals.

Experian customers in the South East have an average Experian Credit Score of 795 – which falls into the ‘Good’ score band – followed by the South West (788) and London (784).

At the other end of the table, the North East is the region with the lowest-average score (727) followed by Wales (731) and Yorkshire and the Humber (738). All three are in the ‘Fair’ score band.

As well as regions, the study looked at 391 individual local authority and districts. The highest average score is found in the City of London (871), followed by Chiltern (859) and Wokingham (858). Kingston-upon-Hull has the lowest average score of 669, with two neighbouring boroughs in Wales – Blaneau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil – just ahead, with scores of 671 and 685 respectively.

This analysis is the most comprehensive study of the nation’s credit scores, not only mapping the average scores of individuals across the country but examining age differences as well.1 Overall, the UK’s average Experian Credit Score at the end of 2018 was 767, which is an improvement of 10 points when compared to the average score of 757 in 2017.2

When it comes to age groups, older people tend to have better scores compared to those who are younger. Those aged 55+ have the highest average score of 841, with those aged 51-55 next with 795.

People in their twenties have lower scores than teenagers. 18-20 year olds have an average score of 785, before falling to 752 for 21-25 year olds. Those aged 26-30 have the lowest score of all (739), before scores start to rise again as people enter their 30s.

James Jones, Head of Consumer Affairs at Experian, said: “It’s encouraging to see people’s credit scores improving on average, while mapping scores provides real insight into how scores differ across the county. People who check their score regularly put themselves in a great position to identify where improvements can be made, which can then open the door to cheaper borrowing in the future.

“If you have checked your report and you’re worried that your score is on the low-side, then please don’t panic. There are often steps you can take to improve your score and get your report into a healthier shape.”

To find out your score and see how it compares to other people’s in your local area, go to https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/credit-score-map-uk/ and search our interactive map.

1 Experian analysed credit scores of 11 regions, split into 391 areas of the country

2 Overall average credit score at end of 2017 compared to end of 2018. Analysis conducted on scores from December 2018.

Regions by credit score

Region

Average Credit Score

South East

795

South West

788

London

784

East of England

783

Northern Ireland

770

East Midlands

763

Scotland

763

West Midlands

754

North West

743

Yorkshire and the Humber

738

Wales

731

North East

727

 

The areas with the highest credit scores

 

The areas with the lowest credit scores

 

City of London 871

Kingston-upon-Hull 669

Chiltern 858

Blaenau Gwent 670

Wokingham 858

Merthyr Tydfil 685

 

Average credit scores by age

Age Group

Average Score

18-20

785

21-25

753

26-30

739

31-35

744

36-40

758

41-45

769

46-50

779

51-55

795

55+

841

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