Facts and Figures

West Kent comprises 94,181 hectares (938 km2) and has a population of about one third of a million people.

The resident workforce has high skill levels, with a third of the adult population educated to degree level or above. Four out of five people of working age work, either as employees or in their own businesses.

Although many of the residents commute to London to work this is balanced by people travelling into West Kent from Sussex, other parts of Kent and Medway.

The number of businesses operating in West Kent continues to grow, with an increase in the business stock of 8.5% since 2000, representing an additional 1,080 businesses.

13,720 VAT registered businesses were operating at the beginning of 2006. The majority of businesses in West Kent are small in terms of the number of employees, but there are 198 organisations with over 100 employees.