Bristol
How Bristol Council compares with councils in South West, on 16 measures from official statistics.
- Residents
- 495,260
- Band D council tax
- £2,714 a year See where it goes
- Children's services
- Requires improvement (Ofsted, 2023)
Where Bristol sits on 16 measures
Compares worst on
- special educational needs plans issued on time (11th of 11; 1st is highest)
- tenants' complaints answered on time (6th of 6; 1st is highest)
- council tax collected in the year it was due (12th of 12; 1st is highest)
Compares best on
- upheld complaints the council had already put right (1st of 12; 1st is highest)
- routine repairs done on time (1st of 6; 1st is highest)
- enforcement actions, per 100 fly-tipping incidents (6th of 12; 1st is highest)
Councils serve very different places, so a low position can reflect more need or less money, not only how well a council is run. About the figures
Where your council tax goes
Choose your band to see what your bill in Bristol pays for in 2026-27. Check your council tax band on GOV.UK.
Your bill: £2,714 a year, about £52.19 a week (Band D).
Who your bill goes to
| Goes to | A year | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol council | £2,310 | 85% |
| Police | £308 | 11% |
| Fire and rescue | £95 | 4% |
What the council's share pays for
The council's part of your bill, £2,310, split in the same proportions as the council's own spending in 2025-26, not counting schools.
| Service | A year | A week | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £954 | £18.35 | 41% |
| Children's social care | £636 | £12.23 | 28% |
| Bins, streets, parks and environment | £216 | £4.15 | 9% |
| Public health | £173 | £3.33 | 7% |
| Housing and homelessness | £130 | £2.50 | 6% |
| Running the council | £87 | £1.66 | 4% |
| Libraries, culture and leisure | £69 | £1.33 | 3% |
| Planning and development | £46 | £0.88 | 2% |
Roads and transport brought in more than it cost, mostly from parking, so it is not shown.
Council tax is only part of the money
In 2025-26, council tax paid for 28% of what Bristol council spent on day-to-day services, including schools. Most government grants can only be spent on what they are given for, such as schools, housing benefit or public health.
- Business rates: 17%
- Council tax: 28%
- Government grants: 54%
How the council does
Each measure ranks Bristol among councils in South West. Open a section for the figures, and a chart of where every council in England sits.
Special educational needs
Bottom quarter
- Special educational needs plans issued on time 6.8% Bottom quarter
Figures and charts for special educational needs
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special educational needs plans issued on time New education, health and care (EHC) plans issued within the legal limit of 20 weeks. 2025 | 6.8% | 34.1% | 11th of 11 |
Ombudsman complaints
1 of 4 measures in the bottom quarter
- Complaints the Ombudsman upheld, per 100,000 residents 4.6 Below the middle
- Complaints that reached the Ombudsman, per 100,000 residents 51.1 Bottom quarter
- Upheld complaints the council had already put right 34.8% Top half
- Ombudsman's recommendations carried out on time 61.9% Below the middle
Figures and charts for ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complaints the Ombudsman upheld, per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 7th of 12 | |
| Complaints that reached the Ombudsman, per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 51.1 | 45.5 | 11th of 12 | |
| Upheld complaints the council had already put right Upheld cases where the council provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman. 2025-26 | 34.8% | 14.9% | 1st of 12 | |
| Ombudsman's recommendations carried out on time Compliance outcomes recorded as delivered on time. 2025-26 | 61.9% | 75.5% | 7th of 10 |
Council housing
3 of 7 measures in the bottom quarter
- Tenants satisfied with the overall service 64.5% Bottom quarter
- Tenants who say their home is well maintained 63.9% Bottom quarter
- Tenants who say their home is safe 70.3% Below the middle
- Tenants who say the council listens and acts 52.3% Below the middle
- Routine repairs done on time 89.9% Top half
- Council homes below the Decent Homes Standard 7.7% Below the middle
- Tenants' complaints answered on time 62.0% Bottom quarter
Figures and charts for council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service Tenant Satisfaction Measure TP01. 2024-25 | 64.5% | 70.5% | 5th of 6 | |
| Tenants who say their home is well maintained Tenant Satisfaction Measure TP04. 2024-25 | 63.9% | 66.3% | 5th of 6 | |
| Tenants who say their home is safe Tenant Satisfaction Measure TP05. 2024-25 | 70.3% | 72.2% | 4th of 6 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts Tenant Satisfaction Measure TP06. 2024-25 | 52.3% | 54.3% | 4th of 6 | |
| Routine repairs done on time Non-emergency responsive repairs completed within target (RP02). 2024-25 | 89.9% | 83.7% | 1st of 6 | |
| Council homes below the Decent Homes Standard Homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard (RP01). 2024-25 | 7.7% | 5.7% | 4th of 6 | |
| Tenants' complaints answered on time Stage 1 complaints responded to within the Housing Ombudsman's timescales (CH02). 2024-25 | 62.0% | 86.7% | 6th of 6 |
Council tax
Bottom quarter
- Council tax collected in the year it was due 93.5% Bottom quarter
Figures and charts for council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 93.5% | 95.7% | 12th of 12 |
Streets and waste
1 of 2 measures in the bottom quarter
- Fly-tipping incidents, per 1,000 residents 20.7 Bottom quarter
- Enforcement actions, per 100 fly-tipping incidents 21.9 Top half
Figures and charts for streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents, per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 20.7 | 10 | 12th of 12 | |
| Enforcement actions, per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 21.9 | 19.7 | 6th of 12 |
1 more measure has no figure for Bristol.
Homelessness
No figures for Bristol yet.
Website
Bottom quarter
- Council website accessibility score 85.3% Bottom quarter
Figures and charts for website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Bristol | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council website accessibility score Silktide Index WCAG 2.2 AA score. October 2026 | 85.3% | 93.7% | 10th of 12 |
What the council spends
£1,176 per resident in 2025-26, not counting schools. The median is £1,128.
Spending by service
Net spending per resident, after fees, charges and specific grants. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Bristol | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £331 | £280 | 4th of 12 | |
| Adult social care | £496 | £496 | 7th of 12 | |
| Public health | £90 | £53 | 2nd of 12 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £68 | £35 | 1st of 12 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £112 | £114 | 8th of 12 | |
| Highways and transport | −£25 | £38 | 12th of 12 | |
| Culture and leisure | £36 | £35 | 5th of 12 | |
| Planning and development | £24 | £18 | 5th of 12 | |
| Central services | £45 | £46 | 7th of 12 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,176 | £1,128 | 4th of 12 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Bristol’s children's services requires improvement in January 2023.
How other councils were rated
- Outstanding
- 2 of the 12 councils in South West
- Good
- 6 of the 12 councils in South West
- Requires improvement
- 3 of the 12 councils in South West, including Bristol
- Inadequate
- 1 of the 12 councils in South West
Over time
Bristol against the median of councils in South West.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Bristol: 6.8%
- Median (councils in South West): 34.1%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Bristol: 4.6
- Median (councils in South West): 4.5
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Bristol: 45.1%
- Median (councils in South West): 46.2%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Bristol: 20.7
- Median (councils in South West): 10
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Bristol. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.