CIH launches 2026 EDI census report

We have today published our 2026 EDI census data results for the UK and Ireland as part of an ongoing effort to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout our organisation and embed it within professional standards, leadership, learning and practice across the housing sector.

Key findings

To help us understand our membership in context, we look at census data alongside wider national population information. These figures are not targets to mirror, but they serve as a baseline to provide insight into our membership, highlighting trends and informing where targeted activity may be needed.

The key findings from the 2026 census are:

• Our membership is 62% female, compared with 51% at population level in both the UK and Ireland
• The most common age of our members is 45-54 years old, which is older than the median age for the UK (40.7) and Ireland (38)
• Over one in ten (10.3) members identifies as LGBTQ+, compared to between 2.1% and 4% at national level across the UK and Ireland
• Ethnic minority people account for 12.6% of our membership, compared to an average of 9.34% at national level
• Nearly one in five (18%) of our membership understands, speaks, reads or writes Cymraeg, Gaelic, Irish or Scots.

These member findings matter as they help us identify demographic trends so that we can:

• Understand the experiences of our members and facilitate greater access to opportunities
• Deepen our understanding of representation within the profession
• Recognise barriers that still impact inclusion and challenge inequalities
• Support a sector that is better equipped to respond to the needs of the communities it serves
• Help ensure everyone working across the sector feels heard, included, respected and supported and has access to opportunities.

The 2026 CIH EDI census was prepared from data collected from the launch of the first census in 2022 up to and including 15 July 2026. The census is open on a rolling basis to all members, and to date, 1,648 current CIH members have completed it.

The CIH EDI board has been behind the publishing of this year’s census, helping steer our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The board was created in 2024.

Justin Cartwright, CIH equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) lead, said: “We are pleased to publish our latest census report as part of our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion both within our organisation and across the wider housing sector.

“It is encouraging to see people from such a broad range of backgrounds choosing to build careers in a sector rooted in social purpose and community impact.

“Members from working-class backgrounds maintain a meaningful presence within our membership, sitting above national benchmarks in most nations. However, the overall picture is mixed, with professional backgrounds overrepresented.

“The data demonstrates career progression for women right up to executive level, where representation reaches a more even balance, building on our high proportion of female members at entry and officer stages.

“Releasing this data helps keep us accountable, gives a clear baseline of where we stand today and helps ensure CIH’s professional standards and development opportunities support equitable progression for everyone across the sector.”