Staffordshire and the City of Stoke-on-Trent have a population of 1.1 million. Staffordshire is the fourth largest agricultural county in Britain but the rural population is not as great as in comparable counties.

16% of the population still work in ceramics manufacturing, a further 9% in ceramics technology, 11% in automotive-related industries and 8% in food and drink.  There are 25,000 VAT registered businesses in the area. As with most parts of the UK, jobs in manufacturing are in decline but they still account for a larger percentage of the jobs in Staffordshire than in anywhere else in the West Midlands. Future areas of growth are predicted to be in the fields of medical technology, post harvesting technology in foodstuffs and logistics. Staffordshire itself has an average of 31% entry to higher education although the majority of Stoke has a figure of less than 16%.