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Data from the Office for National Statistics show that more than 70 per cent of the 16- to 64-year-olds living in the City of London have a degree or higher level qualification ¨C the highest percentage in England and Wales.

The London boroughs of Wandsworth, Richmond upon Thames, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster also feature in the top five, and each has more than 53 per cent of residents holding a degree, according to the analysis of 2011 Census data published on 7 March.

Overall, across England and Wales, residents of local authority areas in the South of England were most likely to report qualifications of degree level or above.

At the other end of the scale are five local authorities in the East and East Midlands. Great Yarmouth sits at the bottom with just 15.7 per cent of residents holding a degree, although a fifth of that area¡¯s population are aged between 50 and 64, the age group least likely to report holding a higher-level qualification.

holly.else@tsleducation.com