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The Blair years in statistics
Tony Blair is stepping down as prime minister after 10 years in Downing Street. Use this graphical guide to see how life in Britain changed during his time in power.
Statistics
4x4 Sales
The numbers of 4x4-type vehicles has grown massively in the last decade, with 175,805 sold in 2006. Source: SMMT
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Air travel
The EU swept away barriers to free competition in the air transport market in the 1980s and '90s, paving the way for budget airlines. Between 1992 and 2000 cheap-end prices fell 40%. These figures show numbers of terminal passengers at UK airports. Source: DfT
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Blair approval rating
This statistic derives from a long-running Ipsos-Mori opinion poll which asks: "Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Blair is doing his job as Prime Minister?". Source: Ipsos/Mori
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CD Sales
CD album sales are up 40% over the decade. Industry group the BPI attributes this to investment in new talent and supermarkets becoming major CD retailers. Wide internet availability is another factor. Some 75% of CDs now cost under £10. Source: BPI/OUKCC
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Emigration
In 2005 380,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more. Australia, Spain and France were the most popular destinations. Net migration (difference between immigration and emigration) was 185,000, or 500 extra people a day in the UK. Source: ONS
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Female life expectancy at 65
In 2005, women aged 65 could expect to live a further 19.4 years if mortality rates remained the same as they were in 2003-05. Source: ONS
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Hospital waiting times
Since warning in 1997 that voters had "24 hours to save the NHS", Tony Blair has consistently hailed cuts in hospital waiting times as a major success story. The graph shows average waits for main ops, from decision to admit to admission day. Source: HES
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House prices
Following the early 1990s slump, house prices in the UK began to rise dramatically from the middle of the decade, some areas recording rises of around 40% per year. The average home in the UK now costs around £172,000. Source: Nationwide
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Household disposable income
Gross disposable household income per head has risen steadily since 1997, with the largest increases recorded in London and the Home Counties. Income rose least in west Wales, Northern Ireland and Northumberland/Tyne and Wear. Source: ONS
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Immigration
High immigration into the UK began in the late 1990s. Latest figures suggest 565,000 long-term migrants arrived in the UK in 2005. Of these, 80,000 were from central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004. More than 70% were Polish. Source: ONS
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Internet access
Household internet access in the UK has soared since the 9% first recorded. As commerce realised its potential, websites mushroomed, firms like WH Smith and BT offered internet services and retailers began offering relatively low-priced PCs. Source: Ofcom/ONS
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Male life expectancy at 65
Life expectancy at age 65 in the UK has reached its highest level ever for both men and women. In 2005, men aged 65 could expect to live a further 16.6 years if mortality rates remained the same as they were in 2003-05. Source: ONS
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Mean UK temperature
Only one year of the past decade - 2000 - has had an average annual temperature close to the UK mean over the period 1971-2000. The warmest years have been 2003 and 2006. Source: Met Office
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Global warming in UK press
Mentions of the phrase in the BBC's electronic cuttings archive, Neon, reflect how climate change has moved up the political agenda. Last autumn Tony Blair acknowledged: "This disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future... but in our lifetime."
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UK Mobile phone subscriptions
Popularity of mobile phones surged with the launch of smaller, more reliable second-generation handsets with improved network coverage. In 2000 46,000 people a day signed up to networks, and 5.1m phones were bought that Christmas. Source: Ofcom/MOA
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MP3 Player Sales
Huge portable digital-music-player sales reflect the cultural shift in listening habits. MP3 grew in the late 1990s and really took off with the launch of Apple's iPod in 2002, elevating players from geek gadget to status symbol. Source: GFK
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Personal debt
These figures show total monthly net unsecured lending to individuals in the UK. A rise in insolvencies in recent years has prompted consumer groups to warn that many people are taking on unsustainable levels of borrowing. Source: Credit Action
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Secondary school class sizes
These figures show average class sizes for maintained secondary schools in the UK. The provisional 2007 figure shows an average of 21.3 pupils, a 0.6 decrease since 1997. Source: DFES
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Unemployment
In the 1980s the issue of unemployment regularly came near the top of polls of what voters were most concerned about. By 2007 it had fallen right out of the top 10 despite figures showing a slight rise in jobless people in the past two years. Source: ILO
This feature allows comparison of relevant sets of statistics, but this is not supposed to imply there is a causal link between them. Also please note that the scale of each graph is different, therefore comparisons can only be made between general trends, not on a like for like basis.
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