Editing Devon (section)

==Economy and industry==
{{Main|Economy of Devon}}

Devon's total economic output in 2019 was over £26&nbsp;billion, larger than either Manchester, or Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/datasets/nominalregionalgrossvalueaddedbalancedperheadandincomecomponents |title=Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components – Office for National Statistics |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605110645/https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/datasets/nominalregionalgrossvalueaddedbalancedperheadandincomecomponents |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2021 report states that "health, retail and tourism account for 43.1% of employment. Agriculture, education, manufacturing, construction and real estate employment are also over-represented in Devon compared with nationally".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.devon.gov.uk/strategic-plan/the-best-place/investing-in-devons-economic-recovery/#:~:text=The%20economy%20of%20Devon%20is,in%20Devon%20compared%20with%20nationally |title=Strategic Plan 2021-2025 |date=15 June 2021 |work=Devon County Council |access-date=26 December 2023 |quote= |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131174030/https://www.devon.gov.uk/strategic-plan/the-best-place/investing-in-devons-economic-recovery/#:~:text=The%20economy%20of%20Devon%20is,in%20Devon%20compared%20with%20nationally |url-status=live }}</ref>

Like neighbouring Cornwall to the west, historically Devon has been disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of [[Southern England]], owing to the decline of a number of core industries, notably fishing, mining, and farming, but it is now significantly more diverse. Agriculture has been an important industry in Devon since the 19th century. The [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis|2001 UK foot and mouth crisis]] harmed the farming community severely.<ref>''In Devon, the county council estimated that 1,200 jobs would be lost in agriculture and ancillary rural industries'' – [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 ''Hansard'', 25 April 2001] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043956/https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 |date=4 April 2017 }}</ref> Since then some parts of the agricultural industry have begun to diversify and recover, with a strong local food sector and many artisan producers. Nonetheless, in 2015 the dairy industry was still suffering from the low prices offered for wholesale milk by major dairies and especially large supermarket chains.

The pandemic negatively affected the economy during 2020 and early 2021; an August 2021 report states that "the immediate economic impacts of COVID-19 for the County as a whole [was] as severe as any in living memory".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/documents/s36779/Devon%20Economy%20Briefing%20summary%20August%202021.pdf |title=Economy Service Briefing |date=15 August 2021 |work=Devon County Council |access-date=26 December 2023 |quote= |archive-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326090147/https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/documents/s36779/Devon%20Economy%20Briefing%20summary%20August%202021.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:torquay.devon.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the seafront of [[Torquay]], south Devon, at high tide]]

in 2014 to 2016, the attractive lifestyle of the area was drawing in new industries which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |title=Devon Delivers |publisher=Invest Devon |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223012937/https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |archive-date=23 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |title=NORTHERN DEVON Economic Strategy 2014 – 2020 |access-date=12 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216023315/http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> Dartmoor, for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage of its inhabitants involved in the digital and financial services sectors. The [[Met Office]], the UK's national and international weather service, moved to Exeter in 2003. Plymouth hosts the head office and first ever store of [[The Range (retailer)|The Range]], the only major national retail chain headquartered in Devon.

Since the rise of seaside resorts with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, Devon's economy has been heavily reliant on tourism. The county's economy followed the declining trend of British seaside resorts since the mid-20th century, but with some recent revival and regeneration of its resorts, particularly focused around camping; sports such as surfing, cycling, sailing and heritage. This revival has been aided by the designation of much of Devon's countryside and coastline as the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, and the Jurassic Coast and Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Sites. In 2019 the county's visitor spend was almost £2.5&nbsp;billion.<!-- Should try to put this in context of total Devon economy – the GVA is around 9&nbsp;billion, but I don't know enough about economic statistics to know if it's valid to compare the two? --><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/tourism_trends_2005.pdf |title=tourism trends 2005.pdf |access-date=18 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326065518/http://www.devon.gov.uk/tourism_trends_2005.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> More successful visitor attractions are particularly concentrated on food and drink, including sea-view restaurants in North-West Devon (such as one example belonging to [[Damien Hurst]]), walking the [[South West Coast Path]], cycling on the [[Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route]] and other cycle routes such as the [[Tarka Trail]] and the Stover Trail; watersports; surfing; indoor and outdoor folk music festivals across the county and sailing in the {{convert|5|mi|adj=on}} hill-surrounded inlet ([[ria]]) at Salcombe.

Incomes vary significantly and the average is bolstered by a high proportion of affluent retired people. Incomes in much of the South Hams and in villages surrounding Exeter and Plymouth are close to, or above the national average, but there are also areas of severe deprivation, with earnings in some places among the lowest in the UK.

The table also shows the population change in the ten years to the 2011 census by subdivision. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5% as at August 2012, the year for which latest datasets have been published. It can be seen that the most populous district of Devon is East Devon but only if excluding [[Torbay]] which has marginally more residents and Plymouth which has approximately double the number of residents of either of these. West Devon has the fewest residents, having 63,839 at the time of the census.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Population from census to census. Claimants of [[Jobseeker's Allowance]] (JSA) or Income Support ([[Department for Work and Pensions|DWP]])''<ref name=ons>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics: Population; Quick Statistics: Economic indicators] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030211201309/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ |date=11 February 2003 }}. ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] and [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]]) Retrieved 27 February 2015.</ref>
|-
!Unit||JSA or Inc. Supp. claimants (August 2012) % of 2011 population||JSA and Income Support claimants (August 2001) % of 2001 population||Population (April 2011)||Population (April 2001)
|-
|	'''Devon'''	||	2.7%	||	6.6%	||	746,399	||	704,493
|- align=center
|colspan="4"|''Ranked by district''
|-
|	Exeter	||	3.5%	||	7.5%	||	117,773	||	111,076
|-
|	Torridge	||	3.3%	||	7.7%	||	63,839	||	58,965
|-
|	North Devon	||	2.8%	||	7.8%	||	93,667	||	87,508
|-
|	Teignbridge	||	2.6%	||	6.7%	||	124,220	||	120,958
|-
|	Mid Devon	||	2.6%	||	6.0%	||	77,750	||	69,774
|-
|	West Devon	||	2.5%	||	5.9%	||	53,553	||	48,843
|-
|	South Hams	||	2.1%	||	6.0%	||	83,140	||	81,849
|-
|	East Devon	||	1.9%	||	5.4%	||	132,457	||	125,520
|- align=center
|colspan="4"|''In historic Devon''
|-
|	Torbay	||	5.3%	||	11.0%	||	130,959	||	129,706
|-
|	Plymouth	||	5.1%	||	9.5%	||	256,384	||	240,720
|}