Disposable incomes in the Cumberland Council area have grown at the same rate as the UK since 1997, new figures show.

A think tank has called for greater investment in local authorities to tackle regional inequality.

Disposable income is the amount of money people have available for spending or saving after taxes and social contributions, and is used by economists as a way of comparing the economic welfare of different areas.

The Office for National Statistics estimates that Cumberland Council residents each had around £19,333 in disposable income as of 2022.

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The figures show disposable incomes have on average grown by 3.2 per cent a year in the area since 1997, close to the national rate of 3.1per cent.

The ONS suggests disposable income may have taken a hit from recent price rises, although data is not available for the impact of inflation at a local level.

In the Cumberland Council area, disposable incomes grew by 4.2 per cent between 2021 and 2022, below the CPIH inflation rate of 7.9 per cent.