Oxford ranks among the worst cities for how much living space people have when compared to homes in dozens of others, an analysis suggests.

Research by the think tank Centre for Cities shows the varying amounts of space – inside and out – available to residents in 58 urban areas across England and Wales.

It says having enough room is important for people to be able to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown, and that councils should bear this in mind when considering social distancing measures.

Oxford residents had an average of 31.8 square metres of residential space per person in 2018, according to the report – among the least for the towns and cities included in the analysis.

Across the two nations, the average person had 35.5 square metres – roughly equivalent to the area of 14 double mattresses.

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Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “As we all learn to live with the lockdown, having enough inside and outside space is a real help for some people.

“But where housing is the least affordable, people are less likely to have access to their own space – either in a flat or house or in the garden.

“That’s something we know councils will be considering when they weigh up calls to close off green spaces.”

The research also looked at data on the size of public parks and gardens in built-up areas.

It found that those in Oxford wanting to do their once-daily exercise would have 17.9 square metres per person, according to 2018 data.

Across England and Wales, the urban area with the most open space per person was Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, with 47.0 square metres, while Worthing in West Sussex had just 3.9 square metres.

Nicola Hodgson, from the charity Open Spaces Society, said the disparity was partly due to a lack of legal requirements around what public outdoor space councils must provide.

She added: “The present restrictions on public movement have highlighted the importance of the accessibility of open space that is near to where people live.

“Going forward it will be important to ensure provision of open space is adequately protected.”

According to the group's findings, 35% of people in Oxford lived in flats last year, meaning they were less likely to have access to a private garden.

This was slightly above the average of 30% across England and Wales.