Equity release adviser density: advisers per 100,000 over-55s

Name: Equity release adviser density by UK region
Creator: Richard Parker

Equity release advice is unevenly spread across the UK. Some areas have plenty of qualified advisers within reach, while others are what you might call adviser deserts, where the nearest specialist is a long way off. This page measures adviser coverage as the number of advisers per 100,000 people aged 55 and over, the group most likely to consider later life lending.

Regional figures are illustrative. The national headline counts are approximate and being confirmed. The regional split below is a worked illustration of the method, not confirmed data. Real values will be computed from ONS regional over-55 population estimates and the FCA register filtered by adviser location, then reviewed before publication.

~6,200 FCA-registered individuals advising on equity release (approx, to confirm)

~1,800 Equity Release Council member advisers (approx, to confirm)

~19,000,000 UK population aged 55 and over (ONS, approx, to confirm)

~32.6 Advisers per 100,000 over-55s, UK average (illustrative)

Illustrative equity release adviser density by UK region
Region	Over-55 population	Advisers (illustrative)	Advisers per 100,000 over-55s
Northern Ireland	520,000	90	17.3
Scotland	1,680,000	340	20.2
North East	790,000	180	22.8
Wales	980,000	230	23.5
East Midlands	1,400,000	360	25.7
Yorkshire and the Humber	1,560,000	410	26.3
North West	1,980,000	520	26.3
South West	1,900,000	540	28.4
West Midlands	1,640,000	470	28.7
East of England	1,780,000	520	29.2
South East	2,780,000	990	35.6
London	2,050,000	760	37.1

Source: Method: FCA register + Equity Release Council membership / ONS population. Regional values illustrative, to confirm. June 2026

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| Region | Over-55 population | Advisers (illustrative) | Advisers per 100,000 over-55s |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Northern Ireland | 520,000 | 90 | 17.3 |
| Scotland | 1,680,000 | 340 | 20.2 |
| North East | 790,000 | 180 | 22.8 |
| Wales | 980,000 | 230 | 23.5 |
| East Midlands | 1,400,000 | 360 | 25.7 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,560,000 | 410 | 26.3 |
| North West | 1,980,000 | 520 | 26.3 |
| South West | 1,900,000 | 540 | 28.4 |
| West Midlands | 1,640,000 | 470 | 28.7 |
| East of England | 1,780,000 | 520 | 29.2 |
| South East | 2,780,000 | 990 | 35.6 |
| London | 2,050,000 | 760 | 37.1 |

Source: Method: FCA register + Equity Release Council membership / ONS population. Regional values illustrative, to confirm. June 2026

In this illustration the lowest coverage falls in Northern Ireland and the highest in London. These are placeholders to show how the ranking will read once real figures are in.

How this is measured

Coverage is expressed as advisers per 100,000 people aged 55 and over, so that a small region with few advisers is not unfairly compared with a large one. The adviser count is intended to come from the FCA register, filtered to individuals with permissions to advise on lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans, located by business postcode, cross-checked against Equity Release Council membership. The population denominator is intended to come from ONS mid-year population estimates for the 55-and-over age band by region.

Sources to confirm: Financial Conduct Authority register (register.fca.org.uk); Equity Release Council adviser directory (equityreleasecouncil.com); Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates. The national counts shown are approximate as at June 2026 and the regional breakdown is illustrative until each figure is confirmed against those sources. Figures reviewed and to be signed off by Richard Parker.