YORK may have lost an estimated £42 million due to university students being kept away from the city by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research.

The research from Studee reveals the university towns and cities which have financially lost the most due to their student population being forced to leave campus and move back to their families because of Covid-19.

York is listed at 22 on the list of places that have lost the most money due to the number of students who live there.

The research found that York could have lost around £42.5 million over the last six months with many students at the University of York and York St John University not being in the city.

In terms of what the money has been lost on, it is estimated that York's grocery stores could have suffered a £17.4 million hit due to a lack of students.

Takeaways across York are estimated to have lost as much as £4 million, while the research has found that £7.4 million may have been lost due to students not being able to go out for a tipple and socialise with friends.

In addition, £4.7 million could have been lost on students not using transport and shops may have lost as much as £5.6 million from students not splashing out on new clothes.

Phil Pinder, chair of York Retail Forum, has responded to the findings of the research by saying: "It is sad to hear such studies, but the cold reality it is tough in retail and hospitality right now. Particularly in fashion, with some huge drops on last year. We will do all we can to keep our shops safe to enable people to shop, but there will still be very tough days ahead until a vaccine is widely available."

Sean Bullick, managing director of Make It York, added: "This year we have seen an unprecedented impact as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, across the city, including on the students studying here in York and also on our universities and colleges, which of course has a knock on impact on the city’s economy."

Cllr Andrew Waller, City of York Council executive member for economy and strategic planning, said: “There are a number of indicators for different sectors within the York economy which we are analysing. As a city home to two universities, students bring a wide range of benefits to the city. Following the national government decisions we are continuing to work closely with both universities to put measures in place to operate within a Covid aware way.”

Studee is a company which helps international students to find and apply to universities abroad.

As part of its research, student budgeting numbers, put together by Save the Student, have been used to calculate the costs for different locations across the country.

The financial losses have been estimated based on the number of students in combination with the budgeting estimates.

For more on the methodology used, visit: https://studee.com/discover/uk-university-town-losses-pandemic/