Coventry Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) - Print version

About the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

What is the Coventry Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)?

Welcome to the Coventry Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2026. The JSNA brings together evidence about the health and wellbeing of Coventry residents, to help leaders across health and care understand and work together to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Coventry.

Health is more than the healthcare system: it is not just about NHS hospitals, doctors, or nurses. Instead, health is about people’s lives. Indeed, people’s health is determined by their economic and social circumstances, such as:

their communities - whether they have access to a good network of family and friends.
their prospects - whether they have access to good jobs and education; and
their environment - whether they live in a good neighbourhood with access to green spaces.

These social circumstances determine people’s health and well-being, and therefore, are known as social determinants of health.

This JSNA contains a full range of evidence to provide decision-makers with an understanding of local people and communities. It contains a lot of numbers and statistics because these are essential to show the trends of how things have changed, as well as comparisons with other places. However, because health is about people, this JSNA also contains a lot of evidence from local people and local community groups.

About this JSNA

The Health and Social Care Act of 2012 places a duty on Health and Wellbeing Boards to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

In April 2018, the Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board authorised a move towards a place-based approach to the JSNA, with the production of a citywide JSNA profile and JSNA profiles for each of the city’s eight Family Hub reach areas. In 2023 an updated citywide JSNA profile was published, followed by a series of further place-based profiles for priority areas in the city: Binley and Willenhall; Bell Green and Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm; Canley; Foleshill and Longford; Hillfields; and Tile Hill. These place-based profiles offer a rich understanding of these local neighbourhoods, underpinned by local insight and reflecting the community assets within the area.

This JSNA citywide profile was produced in 2026 by Coventry City Council with cooperation from partners across the Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board. It builds on learning and feedback from partners about how the JSNA is used and how it could be improved, including new intelligence to support wider application of the insight provided and enhance its relevance and impact.

Each JSNA profile is structured as follows:

Demographics and Community
Prospects
Environment
Health and Wellbeing

For each topic area covered, the JSNA explores:

Why is this important?
What is the local picture? How does it compare?
What is happening in the city? What else can be done?

Insight

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Email: insight@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:insight@coventry.gov.uk]

Executive summary

Demographics and communities

Coventry’s population is growing, changing and becoming increasingly diverse, driven by international migration and natural population change.
Coventry has a younger population than the rest of England, but the number of older residents is increasing.
Population growth is uneven across the city, with the fastest increases in central and eastern neighbourhoods and in parts of the south of the city
Ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity has increased significantly, particularly among children and young people.
Coventry’s population profile includes higher proportions of renters, younger adults and households experiencing financial pressures than the UK average.
Most residents report a strong sense of belonging to their community and the city, although neighbourhood trust and participation levels remainbelow national averages, with trust in neighbours well below the national level.
Understanding these demographic, social and economic characteristics is essential for planning services, reducing inequalities and supporting healthy communities.

Prospects

Early life experiences strongly influence lifelong health, wellbeing and opportunity.
Early antenatal engagement has declined, but smoking in pregnancy has fallen and breastfeeding rates are above average.
Infant mortality, stillbirth and premature birth rates remain higher than national levels, with significant inequalities.
School readiness and early years outcomes lag behind national averages, particularly for disadvantaged children and those with SEND.
SEND numbers and free school meal eligibility continue to rise.
Educational attainment is improving but remains below national averages, with persistent attainment gaps.
School absence remains above pre-pandemic levels and exclusions and suspensions are increasing.
Mental health demand among children and young people continues to grow.
Risky behaviours have declined, but smoking, sexual health and teenage conception rates remain concerns.
Youth justice entry rates remain comparatively low.
Economic growth has not been felt equally, with falling employment, rising unemployment and ethnic inequalities.
Child poverty, fuel poverty, deprivation and digital exclusion remain key challenges.

Housing and Environment

Coventry is the fourth most densely populated local authority area in the West Midlands.
There is generally good access to services, although lower-than-average access to some amenities such as Post Offices, supermarkets and sports facilities.
Coventry has many green spaces, including several high-quality sites, but overall provision is limited, unevenly distributed, and residents report low satisfaction. This includes poor access to green and blue (water) spaces, garden space and parks and play areas.
Public transport connectivity is good, and the percentage of adults who engage in active travel is above the average for metropolitan areas. However there has been an increase in people commuting to and from work by car.
Air quality in Coventry has improved, but it continues to affect health, particularly for vulnerable groups and residents in more deprived areas.
Resident satisfaction with the local area as a place to live is well below the national average and has declined over time, with worsening perceptions of safety contributing to this trend.
Recorded crime in Coventry has fallen markedly in recent years, although levels remain above the national average. Hospital admissions related to violent crime have declined substantially over the past decade, though rates remain higher than average.
Domestic abuse is a significant issue in Coventry, with serious impacts on health and wellbeing and indications of substantial under-reporting and unmet need.
Coventry has a total of 148,000 domestic dwellings and the number of houses has been growing annually. Coventry’s housing stock is characterised by a high proportion of lower-value and older properties. Housing quality and energy efficiency remain significant challenges.
The private rented sector has grown substantially in Coventry in recent years, comprising around a quarter of households, compared with one fifth nationally.
Housing in Coventry remains more affordable than the England average, but affordability has steadily worsened over time.
Coventry has a much higher rate of homelessness or families at risk of homelessness than national and regional averages and homelessness pressures in Coventry have intensified in recent years.
Coventry now has a significantly higher rate of temporary accommodation than both England and the West Midlands. The number of people sleeping rough in Coventry also appears to be increasing.

Health and Wellbeing

The overall health of residents in the city is below average, with life expectancy consistently lower than regional and national levels.
There are significant health inequalities across Coventry’s neighbourhoods that disproportionately affect certain communities, with some groups experiencing preventable and systemic disparities.
Premature mortality in Coventry is higher than both the regional and national averages for males and females and has consistently remained this way.
Cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and chronic liver disease are driving premature mortality.
There has been a notable increase in mortality from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), now higher than regional and national averages.
Across all major conditions, deprivation is strongly associated with higher prevalence, earlier onset and poorer outcomes.
Preventable risk factors such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity drive premature mortality and health inequalities.
Alcohol causes disproportionately high harm in Coventry; the city continues to experience higher-than-average hospital admissions, mortality, and premature deaths linked to alcohol, particularly among men and older adults.
A quarter of adults are inactive, and over two-thirds are overweight or obese. While rates in younger children are relatively better, obesity rises sharply by Year 6 and remains high in adulthood.
Overall mental wellbeing in Coventry was affected by COVID-19 and was worse in 2022 than in 2018. Since then, there has been some improvement but not to 2018 levels.
Coventry has declining uptake of childhood and annual flu vaccinations, and declining rates of HIV testing. Childhood immunisation is Coventry’s weakest area in the ONS Health Index for England.
Coverage of screening for cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, and bowel cancer is below the national average.
Coventry residents have relatively good access to health services overall. However, A&E waiting times and cancer treatment timelines at the local hospital are below average.