The Countryside Alliance has supported the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) in publishing a report exposing the true scale of poverty facing rural communities across Britain.

Rural Poverty in Britain, published today (Tuesday 10 March), lays bare the inequalities that leave millions of countryside residents paying more, travelling further and receiving less support than their urban neighbours.

The news comes as oil prices surge amidst rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East. The price increase will hit rural communities hardest, with 1.5 million homes, mostly rural, are not connected to the mains gas grid and depend on oil for the heating.

Such households are not protected by Ofgem's energy price cap, and in recent days some have reported an increase in oil prices of up to 117%.

Last week, the Countryside Alliance warned of this, stating that soaring oil prices would disproportionately affect the countryside, where people are more reliant on cars for transport, more reliant on oil for their heating, and longer supply chains push food prices higher.

The LRRG's new report highlights these issues as part of the structural "rural penalty" that affects families across the countryside. Despite this "rural penalty", the report warns, national funding and service models continue to be urban-centric, assuming high levels of density and proximity to services.

Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, commented:

"Rural poverty is not a marginal concern, it is a structural failure hiding in plain sight. The evidence gathered in this report is unambiguous. The Countryside Alliance has long argued that government priorities have been shaped overwhelmingly by urban assumptions. This is not the result of geography - it is the result of political choices.

"But political choices can be changed, and this report stresses the urgent need for a comprehensive Rural Strategy, which would send a clear signal that this government understand rural Britain not as a peripheral concern, but as central to national growth and social cohesion. We urge the government to treat the recommendations in this report seriously and to move with pace. Rural people have heard warm words before - what they need is action."

The report, produced by the LRRG and supported by the Countryside Alliance, draws on focus groups, written evidence from local authorities, charities and rural organisations and official data to build a compelling case for systemic reform.

Key findings reveal that rural households spend an average of £39 more per week on transport and face household fuel bills of £2,740 compared to £1,978 in London. Rural broadband speeds lag significantly behind urban averages, and affordable housing delivery in rural areas is running at less than half the urban rate.

Jennifer Riddell-Carpenter MP, Chair of the LRRG, said:

“For millions of people across our countryside and coastal communities, hardship is not the exception — it is a daily reality. Without coordinated, cross-government reform, rural communities will continue to face higher costs, fewer options and weaker service access. Rural Britain has so much to give, and the last Conservative Government failed to realise that ambition, or to attempt to tackle the inequalities in our countryside. A “Rural Strategy” could help to unleash the potential in rural Britain, and help to deliver real growth and opportunity for our rural heartlands.

“In a matter of days since the war began with Iran, we’ve seen off grid oil prices surge by more than 100%, leaving thousands of UK rural household extremely vulnerable to off grid energy price fluctuations.

“Many thousands of families are now fearful that it will be impossible to buy oil to heat their home, and they are now longing for a mild spring. This volatility exposes rural Britain to greater challenges, and pushes more families into rural poverty. We urgently need a “Rural Strategy”, that includes an energy price cap for off grid homes”.

The Countryside Alliance has called for the government to treat the report's recommendations seriously and move with urgency, noting that rural communities have heard warm words before, what they need now is action.

The report calls on government to adopt a comprehensive Rural Strategy, placing social and economic mobility at its heart. The full report can be found here.