The South East has the highest proportion of self-funders in community care services and the North East the lowest, according to the Office for National Statistics.
An estimated 26% of people using community care services were self-funders and 74% were local authority funded in 2020-21.
But the least deprived areas had a much higher proportion of self-funders (41%) than the most deprived areas (17%).
The South East had the highest proportion of self-funders in community care services (34%) while the North East had the lowest (13%).
Figures for individual council areas vary widely, with Hartlepool BC having just 12% of self-funders and prosperous Richmond LBC 69%.
A third (33%) of services providing community care for older people aged 65 years or older were self-funded compared with 7% for services providing community care for younger adults aged 18 to 64 years.
Proposed reforms outlined in the social care White Paper will mean local authorities no longer being able to use self-funders to subsidise state-funded care costs.
This article was originally published by The MJ (£).