Our story so far

We are a city region with a global reach. At our heart is a vibrant central city, surrounded by unique places which together are home to nearly three million people.

We represent those diverse people, communities, businesses, and organisations of Greater Manchester. We’ve forged a partnership that’s stronger than the sum of its parts, spanning the public, private, voluntary, community, faith, social enterprise and academic sectors.

Our uniquely mature devolved system gets everyone pulling together for the common good - from councils, police, probation and the wider criminal justice system, fire, transport and the NHS, to businesses and their networks, universities, schools and colleges, co-operatives, trade unions, charities, social enterprises, voluntary, community and faith-based organisations.

In the decade since devolution, we’ve become the UK’s fastest growing economy, with productivity growth outpacing the national average and more foreign direct investment than any region outside London. We’ve achieved this while staying true to our values, because this is a place where people matter.

Our hyper-collaborative approach has put Greater Manchester at the forefront of progress

Two people walking down a street. One person is wearing a black tracksuit set and carrying a plastic bag. The other person is wearing a brown suit and has their hand reaching into the breast pocket.

Our track record

The economy

Greater Manchester (GM) had the fastest growing local economy in the UK from 2015 to 2023, with average growth at double the UK rate and, in 2023, for the first time, the total value was more than £100 billion. 

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Jobs and skills

14,000 young people attended ‘Meet Your Future’ career events; 125,000 used GMACS careers website; 150,000 had virtual work experience. 

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Digital

Over 62,000 people have been helped to get online with free data SIMs since 2023, through more than 320 GM Databanks. 

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A more equal future

Our Race Equity Framework is strengthening leadership and accountability. 

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Helping everyone live well

Majority of 14 to 15-year-olds and residents are hopeful for the future, satisfied with their neighbourhood, proud of their community, feel people look out for each other, and believe people from different backgrounds get along. 

Homes

 85,000 new homes have been built since 2016, including 15,000 affordable homes; 2,617 affordable homes were built in 2023 and nearly 400 social rented homes built per year for the last three years, compared to only 9 in 2016-17. 

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Safer and stronger communities

Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are the most improved police and fire services in the country. 

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Transport

All of our 1,600 buses on 577 routes are now under local control, accounting for over 160 million trips per year. 

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A greener future

The Renew Hub repurposed over 400,000 household items, raising over £1.93m for good causes since 2021. 

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  • Greater Manchester (GM) had the fastest growing local economy in the UK from 2015 to 2023, with average growth at double the UK rate and, in 2023, for the first time, the total value was more than £100 billion
  • GM's share of the UK economy increased from 3.6% in 2015 to 4.1% in 2023
  • There are more new businesses per person in GM than in any region outside London and the South East
  • GM is the fastest growing digital and tech hub in the UK, has the largest life sciences employment base outside London and the largest low carbon sector outside London and the South East
  • Manchester and Salford are the first and third most AI-ready cities in the UK outside London and we have the largest AI cluster in the country with 13,500 employed by 250 companies
  • Manchester tech companies raised a record £532 million in funding in 2022, a 50% increase from 2021. This is more than the amount raised by tech companies in many major European cities including Rome, Brussels, Warsaw, and Lisbon
  • GM-based companies collectively raised over £1.8 billion in venture capital funding in the five years leading up to 2023
  • Between 2018 and 2023, GM's visitor economy grew by £3.7 billion, added 22,000 jobs, and increased overnight stays by 700,000
  • 449 international investment deals were made in Greater Manchester from 2014 to 2023, more than any other UK regional city
  • 75% of businesses helped by Business Growth Hub said the support improved their productivity
  • 20% of businesses helped by Business Growth Hub started new inclusive practices; 40% are in GM's more deprived areas
  • Business Growth Hub clients: 20% are non-white, 7% have disabilities, 26% are 50+ years old, and 44% are women
  • Over £475m has been invested in commercial projects, creating nearly 500,000 square metres of development which meet higher standards of sustainability and redeveloping nearly 1.5million square metres of brownfield land
  • A £10m fund to support advanced manufacturing and materials sector has committed £2.85m since July 2024. 

  • 85,000 new homes have been built since 2016, including 15,000 affordable homes; 2,617 affordable homes were built in 2023 and nearly 400 social rented homes built per year for the last three years, compared to only 9 in 2016-17
  • Over 10,000 homes built per year since 2017-18, compared to 6,000 per year in the ten years before
  • The GM Housing Fund started with £300m in 2015 and a target of delivering 10,000 new homes; funding has been recycled over 2 times since then with £1.2bn approved or spent supporting the development of 11,000 new homes
  • The Brownfield Housing Fund is forecast to deliver more than 19,000 new homes by March 2026, with 11,000 being affordable. Since 2020, £228m has been deployed into 176 housing projects on derelict land, creating 14,263 new homes, of which 3,389 have been completed and 6,126 will be affordable
  • £123m has been invested in retrofitting nearly 10,000 homes with energy efficiency advice provided to over 33,000 residents
  • Launched Good Landlord Charter

  • 375 T-level placements created
  • 14,000 young people attended ‘Meet Your Future’ career events; 125,000 used GMACS careers website; 150,000 had virtual work experience
  • 6,549 young people accessing Beeline service
  • 8,746 young people helped with NEET provision since 2021
  • 110,000 GM residents supported to find employment since 2017, with more than 30,000  progressing into work through our Working Well programmes
  • 362,000 GM residents accessed adult education courses since 2019; 1,100 advanced careers through Skills Bootcamps
  • 3,800 small businesses have been supported to upskill staff
  • 1,500 employers have signed up to the Good Employment Charter

  • Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are the most improved police and fire services in the country
  • Neighbourhood crimes fell by 17% in 2024 compared to 2023
  • Violent crime was down 7% in the year ending December 2024
  • Hospital admission rates for knife related/sharp object injuries were down 11% in the year ending September 2024, and down 30% since 2019
  • GM was the first place in the country to launch a plan to tackle gender-based violence. In 2023/24, GMP solved 42% more rape offences. Overall, domestic violence is down by 11%
  • GMP’s Operation Vulcan won the Goldstein International Problem-Solving Award due to its success in tackling counterfeit goods and associated criminality in Cheetham Hill. Operation Vulcan has been rolled out to Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly Train Station, the Trafford Centre, Bolton and Derker in Oldham. 

  • 92.4% of GM is covered by gigabit broadband; the national average is 84%
  • Over 95,000 children's Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) development assessments have been made through the new app
  • Over 62,000 people have been helped to get online with free data SIMs since 2023, through more than 320 GM Databanks
  • 2,700km of fibre connecting over 1,500 public sector sites, transforming connectivity speeds to schools, libraries, fire stations, etc.; £3.6m in social value has been generated
  • GM Care Record accessed by over 21,000 medical staff monthly; 280,000 patient records accessed monthly

  • All of our 1,600 buses on 577 routes are now under local control, accounting for over 160 million trips per year
  • Bus passenger numbers are rising, with 14% growth year-on-year in the first franchising area; 45.6 million tram trips in 2024
  • 130km of new Bee Network-standard walking, wheeling, and cycling routes delivered; over 1 million rides on Starling Bank Bikes cycle hire scheme
  • Nearly 300 zero emission buses now operating on routes
  • Bus and tram services are fully integrated with Tap & Go; over 4.3 million taps so far
  • 113 TravelSafe Support & Enforcement Officers and 53 police officers introduced on the transport network
  • More than 50,000 young people using Our Pass as of January 2025
  • Award-winning Stockport Interchange opened in March 2024, aiding regeneration. 

  • Race Equity Framework is strengthening leadership and accountability
  • Recommendations from Independent Inequalities Commission since 2020 shape our work
  • New GM VCSE Accord signed in 2021 to tackle inequalities collaboratively
  • Faith, Belief and Interfaith Covenant endorsed to strengthen engagement with Faith and Belief communities
  • Lived-experience embedded in policy making through Equality Panels and other boards

  • £120m invested in retrofitting 225 schools, leisure centres, and public buildings
  • Over 570,000 trees planted in the last 5 years; over 100 local green spaces improved or created
  • 4 bus depots electrified since buses were brought under local control; 17% of the fleet is now zero emission
  • Places for Everyone supports GM's ambition to be carbon neutral by 2038
  • GM's recycling rate of 50.1% is above the national average of 44%
  • 99.3% of household waste diverted from landfill
  • The Renew Hub repurposed over 400,000 household items, raising over £1.93m for good causes since 2021

  • Life expectancy increase in challenging areas, bucking national trend
  • King’s Fund 2024 report praised GM: "poster child for devolution and population health."
  • 44% reduction in rough sleeping since 2017
  • Smoking rates cut by more than the national average
  • More families involved in early education support than the national average
  • UK’s first World Health Organization age-friendly city region
  • UK’s first Creative Health city region
  • Majority of 14 to 15-year-olds and residents are hopeful for the future, satisfied with their neighbourhood, proud of their community, feel people look out for each other, and believe people from different backgrounds get along. 

Devolution has turbocharged the Greater Manchester tradition of doing things differently

Members of the public browsing a a stall in Bury market. The stall is selling a range of bags.

Title page of the 2021 - 2031 Greater Manchester Strategy (previous strategy). Grey background with overlapping circle shapes in a green scale, starting with a light mint and moving to a bright green. The wording on the page reads "Greater Manchester Strategy 2021 - 2031 good lives for all"

Greater Manchester Strategy

Read the previous Greater Manchester Strategy

Good lives for all (PDF, 1,120 KB)