It’s also been a year of discovery and numbers, and so here are some of the most surprising figures about Carlisle we discovered this year.

Given the nature of gathering data and statistics, a lot of the information released in 2023 actually applies to 2022 or even earlier - but it still provides an interesting snapshot of life in our city...

BABIES

Fewer babies were born in Carlisle in 2022 than the year before, new figures show.

New data from the ONS shows a continuing trend of fewer people giving birth – with England and Wales seeing the lowest number registered of any year since at least 2002.

The figures show there were 1,024 live births in Carlisle in 2022 – a fall from 1,044 the year before.

Over the past decade, 2014 saw the highest number of births in the area, with 1,261 over the course of the year. At the other end of the scale, 2018 was the year with the fewest – with 1,009 babies born.

DOG BITES

More dog bite wounds were treated in hospitals in north Cumbria last year, new figures show.

The Dogs Trust said trusting basic dog training is "not enough" in preventing pets from biting as the number of dog bite wounds treated in hospitals across England continues to rise.

NHS data shows there were about 40 episodes of patients being treated in hospital for dog bites in the former NHS North Cumbria CCG in the year to March 2023 – up from 35 the year before.

These figures are rounded and are not a count of people, as one person could be seen more than once within the year.

BUS SERVICES

The number of miles covered by bus services in Cumbria has fallen by a fifth over the last decade, new figures show.

Department for Education figures show bus companies in Cumbria provided 8.2 million miles of services in the year to March – up from 7.8 million the year before.

In 2012-13, 10.4 million miles were provided, meaning bus coverage has been cut by 21 per cent over the last decade.

SEWAGE

Raw sewage was released into open water in Carlisle more than 1,500 times in 2022, figures show.

Storm overflows normally happen when the sewage system is at risk of being overwhelmed – such as after a heavy rain, or during higher levels of groundwater.

In these cases, water companies may need to release excess water and sewage into rivers and the sea, to prevent water backing up into the streets and people's homes.

This has an impact on the quality of our natural water sources, with some charities alleging storm overflows are being misused and under-reported.

Figures from the Environment Agency show storm overflows were used 1,681 times within Carlisle's local authority boundaries in 2022, discharging for a total of around 7,968 hours.

Of these, 1,673 were from United Utilities's network, while eight were from facilities operated by Northumbrian Water.

LIFE SATISFACTION

Life satisfaction in Carlisle has risen despite the cost-of-living crisis, new figures show.

Mental Health UK said people's declining mental health is due to the coronavirus pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

Office for National Statistics figures show people in Carlisle answered the question "how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?" with an average of eight in the year to March – up from 7.5 the year before.

They were asked to rank their feelings on a scale where one is "not at all" and 10 is "completely".

Across the UK, satisfaction levels have fallen slightly to 7.5 following a post-pandemic bump in 2021-22.

BUSINESS CLOSURES

Hundreds of businesses in Carlisle shut their doors for good in 2022, new figures show.

It comes as more UK businesses closed since records began in 2002, surpassing the number of new start-ups founded for the first year since 2010.

Office for National Statistics figures show around 525 businesses in Carlisle ceased trading in 2022 – up from 380 the year before.

Some 4,320 businesses were active last year, meaning the 'business death rate' – the percentage of businesses that closed – has risen to 12.2 per cent.

This is above the 'business birth rate' – the percentage of businesses that began trading – of 11.7 per cent, with around 505 created last year.

ECONOMIC INACTIVITY

Two in five Carlisle residents were economically inactive in 2021, new census figures show.

Census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 36,070 residents in Carlisle were economically inactive between March 15 and 22 2021.

An economically inactive person is aged 16 and over and did not have a job in that time period, could not start work in the next two weeks, or had not looked for work in the month before.

It meant 39.5 per cent of over-16s in the area were economically inactive.

Across the two countries, 19.1 million over-16s (39.4 per cent) were economically inactive.

RAIL PASSENGERS

A railway station in Cumbria saw almost 2million visits last year, according to new figures.

Data from the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) showed Carlisle railway station had 1.8million entries and exits in the year to March 2023, which made it the 271st busiest station in the country.

The next busiest station in the former city council area was Dalston, with 37,400 visits, followed by Wetheral with 30,666 and Brampton with 9,960.

The main origin or destination station for passengers in Carlisle was Newcastle with more than 200,000 journeys taken between Newcastle and Carlisle. 

ENERGY EFFICENCY

More than half of homes in Carlisle have been given an energy efficiency rating of 'D' or below, figures show.

Houses and other buildings are given an efficiency rating of A to G, based on numerous factors – such as levels of insulation, the type of central heating used, and how modern the building's lightbulbs are.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 57 per cent of households in Carlisle were living in homes with a rating of 'D' or below.

The average energy efficiency rating for the area is 67 out of 100 – just below the average of 68 across England.

Ratings are generally only given when homes are bought, sold or rented – with these figures only for homes that have received ratings in the past 10 years.

NHS WAITING LISTS

Tens of thousands of patients were waiting for routine treatment at the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust in August, figures show.

In response to rising numbers across England, health charities have urged both major political parties to focus on cutting waiting lists.

NHS England figures show 37,133 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust at the end of August – up from 36,210 in July, and 36,378 in August 2022.

Of those, 726 (2 per cent) had been waiting for longer than a year.

The median waiting time from referral at an NHS Trust to treatment at the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust was 13 weeks at the end of August – the same as in July.