South Downs Economic Profile 2025
The South Downs National Park Authority published its first economic profiles in 2018 and 2020 to inform the development of a place-based rural economic strategy. These earlier reports helped shape policy and investment priorities, providing an evidence base for engagement with partners and stakeholders.
The latest 2025 economic profile updates the above foundation with the most current data available, offering a clearer picture of how the National Park’s economy has evolved — particularly in the face of Covid-19, inflationary shocks, and shifting labour markets — and where future opportunities and challenges may lie.
The 2025 economic profile is provided in two parts. Part 1 presents headline indicators, summary findings, sector-specific narratives and strategic recommendations, while Part 2 serves as the accompanying data presentation. Moreover, Part 2 brings together the full range of economic indicators that underpin the insights in Part 1 and provides breakdowns across business structure, employment, productivity, sector composition, and population trends.