LexisNexis: Legal Aid Deserts 2026
Almost a quarter of people across England and Wales live in legal aid deserts.
Access to legal aid remains deeply uneven across England and Wales. Our updated LexisNexis Legal Aid Deserts report 2026 identifies the local authorities where legal need appears highest relative to legal aid provider capacity across five key areas: housing, family, crime, immigration and employment.
Using updated public data across 318 current local authorities in England and Wales, the report compares legal need with legal aid provider capacity to highlight where access appears weakest.
Key findings
- 14.49 million people, or 23.4% of the population of England and Wales, live in a local authority classed as a legal aid desert in at least one of five areas
- 91 local authorities are classed as legal aid deserts in at least one area
- 37 local authorities, home to 5.38 million people, fall into the weakest category in two or more areas
- 8 local authorities fall into the weakest category in four or more areas
Pressure by area of law
- 6.6 million people live in housing legal aid deserts
- 4.1 million live in family legal aid deserts
- 3.6 million live in crime legal aid deserts
- 4.6 million live in immigration legal aid deserts
- 4.1 million live in employment legal aid deserts
Download the report to explore the latest maps, rankings, expert commentary and methodology, and to see where legal aid access appears weakest across England and Wales.
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