Our population has grown at a staggering 7% in just ten years. 
This is the largest growth in the population in England and Wales in any ten-year period since the census began in 1801, according to the Office for National Statistics second set of findings from the 2011 census.
There is now enormous pressure on our housing stock and, most significantly, this adds increased stress on our precious water resources.
The bathroom industry, however, is playing its part and has moved swiftly in recent years to create products which use much less water than they did previously. The rise and rise of The Water Label as a planning, marketing and educational tool reflects the pioneering work of the industry – www.europeanwaterlabel.eu
Additionally our population is ageing fast. People over the age of 90 rose from 336,000 in 2001 to 429,000 in 2011. Again the bathroom industry is responding to the increasing need for
stylish and practical products which are suitable for use by the whole family, including those with special needs. The recently upgraded ‘Making Life Easier’ website reflects the work which the industry is undertaking at www.making-life-easier.org/
The census found that the number of people privately renting home has almost doubled over ten years and there was a decline in homes owned with a mortgage or loan, from 8.4m in 2001 to 7.6m in 2011. But there was a rise in homes owned outright from 6.4m to 7.2m.
These figures do need some consideration.
The bathroom business is being affected. The average landlord just doesn’t have the bathroom on the top of his priority list.
There are more reports to come from the census but meanwhile the BMA and its members will be considering the lessons to be learned from the stats.
More information: www.bathroom-association.org