As a nation, we care deeply about our countryside, according to the Countryside Agency’s fifth annual State of the Countryside report.

It reveals that more than 90% of people, both rural and urban, care so much that they want to ‘keep the countryside the way it is now’. But what the report also shows is that, despite that wish, the English countryside continues to change – and on the high tech front there is a widening divide between town and country.

Countryside Agency chairman and rural advocate, Sir Ewen Cameron, said: "Our State of the Countryside report provides objective analysis and facts about the countryside, to guide policy makers and decision takers. While it shows that life in the countryside is generally good for many people who enjoy better standards of health, less fear of crime, higher educational qualifications and get on better with their neighbours, too often problems lie behind this overall favourable picture. One in four people living in low income households are in rural areas yet, as I flagged up last year, rural housing continues to become less affordable, particularly for first time buyers".

"Our countryside is a hive of economic activity that plays a major part in driving the national economy, but our report shows that restricted access to broadband is putting rural businesses and residents at a disadvantage. New data shows a widening digital divide. Whilst two-thirds of the population overall can access affordable broadband, this drops to 26% in market towns, 7% in rural villages and only 1% in remote rural areas. Lack of broadband access can present an expensive obstacle to new rural businesses, denying them markets for their products and services".

"New technologies, such as broadband, also offer residents access to essential services that no longer have a physical presence locally. In particular, young people living in remoter areas need the same access to the latest entertainment, education and training, delivered through broadband, if they are not to feel disadvantaged compared to their urban counterparts. I know the government is working with others to address this issue and I urge them to set a realistic target for reaching the whole rural population with broadband, making it easier to monitor and identify where further action is needed."

Other issues highlighted in the State of the Countryside 2003 report include:

· new 2001 Census figures show that 28.5% of the population (some 14 million people) live in the countryside– the population of rural districts has grown by 12% (+1.5m) since 1981;

· more rural households (46%) than urban (32%) are involved in a local organisation and 42% of rural people are ‘highly interactive’ with their neighbours compared with 28% of people in larger towns and cities – indicating more community participation;

· on average rural incomes are higher than urban, but average rural weekly wages (£336) are lower than in urban areas (£384), with remote rural areas having the lowest average weekly wage (£310). In rural areas the region with the lowest weekly wage is the North East (£294) followed by the South West (£311);

· agriculture’s contribution to the economy (0.8% of Gross Value Added in 2002) continues to decline and it now employs less than 5% of rural people, but remains the primary means of managing 76% of the countryside;

· the total stock of businesses has been growing faster in accessible rural areas than in urban areas, although there has been little growth in remote rural areas;

· 81% of the rural workforce is employed in either manufacturing, distribution, financial or public services;

· overall there are rising educational standards in the countryside, illustrated by 82% of pupils in rural schools attaining Key Stage 2 Level 4 compared to 76% in urban schools;

· road traffic in rural areas is forecast to rise by up to 30% by 2010;

· a quarter of all leisure day visits are to the countryside, with an estimated value of around £9 billion a year; walking is the most popular activity;

· a new indicator measuring changes in the character and quality of the countryside is under development and will report for the first time next year.

Sir Ewen concluded "Whether we live in town or country, we all value the countryside as an essential part of our lives. But there is still much to be done to create and maintain a countryside that gives a high quality of life for people who live there, and for everyone to enjoy. The monitoring and analysis in our State of the Countryside report will help us all to get that right."

The State of the Countryside 2003 report presents data and analysis according to 20 indicators that measure changes in rural social, economic and environmental conditions. A full version of the report (CA140) can be downloaded from the Countryside Agency website at www.countryside.gov.uk/stateofthecountryside