Economic Complexity Drives COVID-19 Outcomes in UK Local Authorities

COVID-19 outcomes differ according to socio-economic indicators. In this study, we find there is a specific structure to the differences among UK local authorities, as localities with a lower economic complexity index (ECI) registered significantly higher COVID-19 cases and deaths. We show that the ECI is a predictor of people’s movements, with mobility declining in high ECI localities during the pandemic, but not in low ECI places where a higher proportion of people have high-risk jobs more likely to lead to virus transmission. Local economic structures shape people’s pandemic experiences and this calls for strategies to reduce spatial inequalities.