Rankings · Metropolitan borough in England
Separate leagues. England, Scotland and Wales are measured differently, so a rank in one is not comparable with another. Why. England is stable; Scotland and Wales are provisional.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne council ranks 108th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 89th to 118th), in the bottom quarter. Strongest on financial health (12th of 127), weakest on service quality (113th of 130).
Formally the Newcastle City Council.
Compare Newcastle upon Tyne with another council
Data period: Oldest figures 2024-25 (DEFRA and DHSC); newest as at 2026-11 (CQC). Published by CQC, DEFRA, DHSC, DfE, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, MHCLG and Ofsted.
Data last updated: · Last checked: . Sources publish on their own schedules, so figures can be older than the last check.
Methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "Newcastle upon Tyne council, Council Rankings, 1 November 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/newcastle-upon-tyne/"
Likely range 89th–118th. Stays in the bottom quarter in 81% of re-runs. How we work this out
How Newcastle upon Tyne scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that Newcastle upon Tyne beats. Overall weights: service quality 60%, value for money 20%, financial health 20%. Select any measure below to see how every council compares on it.
Service quality
Allowing for need, Newcastle upon Tyne ranks 110th of 130 (likely range 101st–120th), against 113th unadjusted. That is about the same: need explains little of the difference between councils.
Adjusted: children's services, adult social care and waste & recycling. Not adjusted, because there is no published measure of need: planning, complaints, special educational needs and homelessness. This view is not part of the overall rank. How we adjust
Planning
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 87.7% | 93.7% | 103 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 82.4% | 92.0% | 117 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 1,005 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 25.9% | 37.4% | 120 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 567 kg | 516 kg | 98 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 2.5 | 4.8 | 10 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 72.7% | 81.9% | =15 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 57.1% | 75.0% | =105 / 128 | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | 11.1% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Good | Good | =40 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | Good | Good | =56 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 52.8%Requires improvement assessment published 28 May 2026 | 63.9% | =106 / 126 | latest at 2026-11 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.399 | 0.417 | =106 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 64.9% | 65.5% | 71 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 61.7% | 62.5% | 68 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 90.0% | 83.9% | =16 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 74.9% | 70.7% | 23 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 15.4% | 58.3% | =124 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 46.1% | 51.7% | 84 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 35.6% | 33.5% | 59 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 1.6 | 2.8 | 41 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | Not reported this quarter | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Newcastle upon Tyne spends £668 per adult on adult social care, against about £609 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£59 more). Its adult social care results rank 96th of 125.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 103rd of 122
Children's services value for money
Newcastle upon Tyne spends £1,620 per child on children's services, against about £1,699 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£78 less). Its children's services results rank 56th of 130.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 67th of 127
Waste value for money
Newcastle upon Tyne spends £200 per home on waste & recycling, against about £182 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£17 more). Its waste & recycling results rank 113th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 96th of 127
Planning value for money
Newcastle upon Tyne spends £2,070 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£1,368 more). Its planning results rank 118th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 120th of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 68.9% | 33.0% | 20 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 7.2% | 0.4% | 17 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 12.6% | 9.7% | 86 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 223.9% | 184.6% | 85 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 2.0% | 8.8% | 23 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | Newcastle upon Tyne | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 0.0% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 320,838 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £1,909.46 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 28.834 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | Not reported this quarter | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Liberal Democrat minority administration | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Liberal Democrat 25, Green 24, Reform UK 24, Independent and other 3, Labour 2 (of 78 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | No audit opinion signed yet. PSAA status: unsigned. | 2025-26 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 1 | median 1 | 2023-24 to 2025-26 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £2,221.21 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,542.19 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in Newcastle upon Tyne
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards Newcastle upon Tyne's score.
- North East Combined Authority: transport; adult skills; economic development
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
- Gateshead: 35th of 130, upper middle · compare
- North Tyneside: 57th of 130, upper middle · compare
- South Tyneside: 83rd of 130, lower middle · compare
- Sunderland: 5th of 130, top quarter · compare
- County Durham: 12th of 130, top quarter · compare
Questions about Newcastle upon Tyne
How good is Newcastle upon Tyne council?
Newcastle upon Tyne ranks 108th of 130 single-tier councils in England overall, in the bottom quarter, and 28th of 36 metropolitan boroughs. Its likely range is 89th to 118th. Its highest rank is on financial health (12th of 127) and its lowest on value for money (113th of 127). Ranks are on official data for service quality, value for money and financial health; nearby places are similar, so read it as a position, not a verdict. How we score · Compare Newcastle upon Tyne
Is Newcastle upon Tyne a single-tier council?
Yes. Newcastle upon Tyne is a metropolitan borough (formally the Newcastle City Council), and runs almost all local services in its area itself, with no county or district council alongside it. A few services are run by other bodies, listed above. Who is ranked
ONS code E08000021 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog