The State of the Countryside report is a unique and vital examination of rural England and of the many ways that it is changing - socially, economically and environmentally.

This year's report presents some key trends - for example urban to rural migration, housing affordability, employment, business growth, farming and on the quality of the natural environment - and highlights key challenges for government and for all of those who live in and care about the countryside.

State of the Countryside 2006 provides a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the overall rural picture, presented in an accessible, fully illustrated format.