20 things

Birmingham Midshires’ Not-So-Average Joe research

29 September 2007

1 Research by Birmingham Midshires has revealed that the average 2.4 family has become a dying breed as British life evolves, with almost 63 per cent of people claiming to be outside of the ‘norm’.

2 The study showed that even those that fit the stereotype of the ‘average’ person now reject the label, revealing that many people hold a negative association with the term.

3 Meanwhile, the ‘conformists’ among us in society admire those who fall outside the norm.

4 The study, carried out by YouGov among a GB representative of 2,461 people in August 2007, showed that Britain is going through an unprecedented growth in the number of single occupancy households.

5 With over 18,000 civil partnerships having taken place last year, Birmingham Midshires decided to explore opinions of what being ‘average’ means in Britain today.

6 This study formed part of Birmingham Midshires ‘Not-So-Average Joe’ campaign, which aims to champion the needs of people with non-traditional lifestyles.

7 63 per cent said that the description of ‘average’ did not apply to them and 60 per cent said they prefer to stand out from the crowd than to conform.

8 Extended families living under one roof and single parents are more likely to exist than the 2.4 set-up of the traditional family unit.

9 Wales was to be the home to the most individuals, with 67 per cent of people claiming not to be ‘average’.

10 Yorkshire, meanwhile, was shown to be the ‘average’ centre of the UK, with 39 per cent of people in the region putting themselves in the mainstream.

11 When people who do not conform to the norm were asked how they felt about being ‘individuals’, 63 per cent described themselves as happy to be different, 56 per cent said they were proud of their individuality and 49 per cent said they felt

empowered.

12 Meanwhile, those who describe themselves as average say their ‘normal’ status makes them feel accepted (54 per cent), safe (50 per cent) and included (44 per cent).

13 Birmingham Midshires then asked the two groups to describe their perception of people that fall into the opposite category to themselves.

14 It was revealed that those who class themselves as ‘individuals’ hold a negative perception of their ‘average’ counterparts.

15 The ‘average’ community was described as unimaginative (56 per cent), safe (48 per cent) and not very brave (37 per cent).

16 Just 3 per cent of those questioned thought average people were lucky to fit in.

17 Conversely, many people who think of themselves as average have a positive opinion of people who are individuals and may even envy them.

18 Although one in two say ‘individuals’ are attention seekers, they were also described as go-getters (31 per cent) and brave (30 per cent).

19 Tim Hague, managing director of mortgages at Birmingham Midshires, commented: “Many mainstream mortgage lenders and providers still work on the model of having married applicants with 2.4 children but, as our research shows, the majority of people are no longer ‘average’.”

20 Hague continued: “Not everyone is the same, and therefore no one mortgage deal is right for everyone. We would urge people – whether they believe themselves to be average or unique – to seek the advice of a regulated mortgage intermediary to ensure they get a mortgage deal that is right for them.”

Get the daily news delivered to your inbox
Find the latest industry jobs
Register for the next forum