Facebook
TwitterLondon was by far the largest urban agglomeration in the United Kingdom in 2025, with an estimated population of *** million people, more than three times as large as Manchester, the UK’s second-biggest urban agglomeration. The agglomerations of Birmingham and Leeds / Bradford had the third and fourth-largest populations, respectively, while the biggest city in Scotland, Glasgow, was the fifth largest. Largest cities in Europe Two cities in Europe had larger urban areas than London, with Istanbul having a population of around **** million and the Russian capital Moscow having a population of over **** million. The city of Paris, located just over 200 miles away from London, was the second-largest city in Europe, with a population of more than **** million people. Paris was followed by London in terms of population size, and then by the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, at *** million and *** million people, respectively. The Italian capital, Rome, was the next largest city at *** million, followed by Berlin at *** million. London’s population growth Throughout the 1980s, the population of London fluctuated from a high of **** million people in 1981 to a low of **** million inhabitants in 1988. During the 1990s, the population of London increased once again, growing from ****million at the start of the decade to **** million by 1999. London's population has continued to grow since the turn of the century, and despite declining between 2019 and 2021, it reached *** million people in 2023 and is forecast to reach almost *** million by 2047.
Facebook
TwitterThis statistic shows the ten largest cities in the United Kingdom in 2021. In 2021, around 8.78 million people lived in London, making it the largest city in the United Kingdom.
Facebook
TwitterAttribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
License information was derived automatically
United Kingdom UK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 19.234 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.203 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 18.336 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.939 % in 1960 and a record low of 17.256 % in 1973. United Kingdom UK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted Average;
Facebook
TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
National and subnational mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries by administrative area, age and sex (including components of population change, median age and population density).
Facebook
TwitterWhen surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2024, it was found that York was the most popular city in the United Kingdom among residents of the UK. In total, 76 percent of the UK public had a popular opinion of the city, which is famed for its historical architecture.
Facebook
TwitterIn 2019, passenger arrivals have increased in most major cities. This is in line with the growth in rail journeys seen in recent years.
London remains the city with the highest rail passenger numbers with 8 times more passengers across the day than Birmingham, the city with the second highest.
During peak hours, nearly 233,000 passengers were standing on trains in London. However, morning peak crowding in London is the lowest since 2014.
In other cities, the number of standing passengers was much lower. After London the next highest was Birmingham with 16,800 standing. However, the percentage of passengers standing has grown across six major cities.
Using the PiXC measure, Cardiff had the highest peak crowding level of 3.7% with 1200 passengers over train capacity.
Background information on the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics and how they are collected can be found in the notes and definitions.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Facebook
TwitterIn 2024, over nine million people lived in Greater London, making it the most populated ceremonial county in England. The West Midlands Metropolitan County, which contains the large city of Birmingham, was the second-largest county at just over 3.03 million, closely followed by Greater Manchester at three million, and then West Yorkshire with a population of 2.4 million. Kent, Essex, and Hampshire were the three next-largest counties in terms of population, each with just over 1.9 million people. A patchwork of regions England is just one of the four countries that compose the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with England, Scotland and Wales making up Great Britain. England is therefore not to be confused with Great Britain or the United Kingdom as a whole. Within England, the next subdivisions are the nine regions of England, containing various smaller units such as unitary authorities, metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan districts. The counties in this statistic, however, are based on the ceremonial counties of England as defined by the Lieutenancies Act of 1997. Regions of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Like England, the other countries of the United Kingdom have their own regional subdivisions, although with some different terminology. Scotland’s subdivisions are council areas, while Wales has unitary authorities, and Northern Ireland has local government districts. As of 2024, the most-populated Scottish council area was Glasgow City, with over 650,000 inhabitants. In Wales, Cardiff had the largest population among its unitary authorities, and in Northern Ireland, Belfast was the local government area with the most people living there.
Facebook
TwitterIn 2024, the population of the United Kingdom was estimated to have grown by approximately 1.1 percent, with the population growing fastest in North West England, which grew by 1.4 compared with 2023. By contrast, growth in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was below the UK average, with the population in these countries growing by 0.7 percent, 0.6 percent, and 0.4 percent respectively. Four countries of the UK Within the UK, South East England had the highest population of the regions that comprise the United Kingdom, at more than 9.6 million people. In terms of the four countries of the UK, England had by far the highest population at over 58.6 million people, compared with Scotland (5.5 million) Wales (3.2 million) and Northern Ireland (1.9 million) which have comparatively smaller populations. Of these countries, Scotland was the most sparsely populated, with 71 people per square kilometer, compared with 5,782 people per square km in London. Largest cities in the UK With over nine million people living there, London is by some distance the largest city in the UK. Other large cities in the UK include the West Midlands urban area, centered around the city of Birmingham, as well as Greater Manchester in North West England. With similar populations of around three million people, these two cities, generally considered as the main contenders for being England's second-city. In this year, Scotland's largest city was Glasgow, with Cardiff being the biggest settlement in Wales, and Belfast the largest in Northern Ireland.
Facebook
TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
This dataset represents ethnic group (19 tick-box level) by highest level qualification, for England and Wales combined. The data are also broken down by age and by sex.
The ethnic group that the person completing the census feels they belong to. This could be based on their culture, family background, identity, or physical appearance. Respondents could choose one out of 19 tick-box response categories, including write-in response options.
Total counts for some population groups may not match between published tables. This is to protect the confidentiality of individuals' data. Population counts have been rounded to the nearest 5 and any counts below 10 are suppressed, this is signified by a 'c' in the data tables.
"Asian Welsh" and "Black Welsh" ethnic groups were included on the census questionnaire in Wales only, these categories were new for 2021.
This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by ethnic group. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. This dataset shows population counts for usual residents aged 16+ Some people aged 16 years old will not have completed key stage 4 yet on census day, and so did not have the opportunity to record any qualifications on the census.
These estimates are not comparable to Department of Education figures on highest level of attainment because they include qualifications obtained outside England and Wales.
For quality information in general, please read more from here.
Ethnic Group (19 tick-box level)
These are the 19 ethnic group used in this dataset:
No qualifications
No qualifications
Level 1
Level 1 and entry level qualifications: 1 to 4 GCSEs grade A* to C , Any GCSEs at other grades, O levels or CSEs (any grades), 1 AS level, NVQ level 1, Foundation GNVQ, Basic or Essential Skills
Level 2
5 or more GCSEs (A* to C or 9 to 4), O levels (passes), CSEs (grade 1), School Certification, 1 A level, 2 to 3 AS levels, VCEs, Intermediate or Higher Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Intermediate Diploma, NVQ level 2, Intermediate GNVQ, City and Guilds Craft, BTEC First or General Diploma, RSA Diploma
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Level 3
2 or more A levels or VCEs, 4 or more AS levels, Higher School Certificate, Progression or Advanced Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Advance Diploma, NVQ level 3; Advanced GNVQ, City and Guilds Advanced Craft, ONC, OND, BTEC National, RSA Advanced Diploma
Level 4 +
Degree (BA, BSc), higher degree (MA, PhD, PGCE), NVQ level 4 to 5, HNC, HND, RSA Higher Diploma, BTEC Higher level, professional qualifications (for example, teaching, nursing, accountancy)
Other
Vocational or work-related qualifications, other qualifications achieved in England or Wales, qualifications achieved outside England or Wales (equivalent not stated or unknown)
Facebook
TwitterThis publication provides information on the number of passengers travelling by rail into and out of a number of major city centres in England and Wales. Due to high levels of rail passenger demand in Greater London compared to every other major city in England and Wales, further detail is provided on individual stations in central London.
The statistics are based on counts of passengers carried out in England and Wales between 16 September and 13 December 2024. Data is collected from franchised train operators at selected major cities across England and Wales. It does not include Open Access operators such as Heathrow Express and Lumo.
This publication focuses on passenger numbers during the morning and evening peak hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when rail travel tends to be busiest. The AM peak covers trains arriving into city centres between 07:00 and 09:59, whereas the PM peak reflects trains departing between 16:00 and 18:59. A city centre is defined using a cordon to include the major city centre stations. In some cases, passengers will not alight at the cordon station but are counted there. For crowding statistics, passengers are counted at the busiest station on the route when entering or leaving the city centre.
The loading at the busiest point for the 10 most crowded peak train services in England and Wales during the autumn period is also presented.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly by emailing rail.stats@dft.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
To hear more about the Department for Transport’s statistical publications as they are released, follow us on X at https://x.com/dftstats">DfTstats.
Facebook
TwitterThe population of the United Kingdom in 2024 was estimated to be approximately 69.3 million, with over 9.6 million people living in South East England. London had the next highest population, at almost 9.1 million people, followed by the North West England at 7.7 million. With the UK's population generally concentrated in England, most English regions have larger populations than the constituent countries of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which had populations of 5.5 million, 3.2 million, and 1.9 million respectively. English counties and cities The United Kingdom is a patchwork of various regional units, within England the largest of these are the regions shown here, which show how London, along with the rest of South East England had around 18 million people living there in this year. The next significant regional units in England are the 47 metropolitan and ceremonial counties. After London, the metropolitan counties of the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire were the biggest of these counties, due to covering the large urban areas of Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds respectively. Regional divisions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland The smaller countries that comprise the United Kingdom each have different local subdivisions. Within Scotland these are called council areas, whereas in Wales the main regional units are called unitary authorities. Scotland's largest Council Area by population is that of Glasgow City at over 650,000, while in Wales, it was the Cardiff Unitary Authority at around 384,000. Northern Ireland, on the other hand, has eleven local government districts, the largest of which is Belfast with a population of approxiamtely 352,000.
Facebook
TwitterCOVID-19 impact
Passenger numbers, train capacity, and crowding were affected by COVID-19 during autumn 2020. Passenger numbers fell to historically low levels, the number of planned services was revised, and some operators ran longer trains to allow passengers to maintain social distancing.
This annual release typically presents statistics on 2 key crowding measures:
It would also provide a list of the 10 most overcrowded routes. However, the impact of COVID-19 meant that demand fell well below capacity levels for all services. As a result, since the values would all be zero, there is no reporting of overcrowding and passenger standing measures within this statistical release (although data tables capture 0% PiXC metric).
Capacity estimates are indicative as train operators had separate policies on social-distanced capacity.
In autumn 2020, there were on average 453,603 daily passenger arrivals into major cities. This represents a decrease of 75% compared to autumn 2019 (1.8 million).
London remains the city with the highest rail passenger numbers with 10 times more passengers arriving across the day than Birmingham, the city with the second highest.
There was an 81% reduction of passenger arrivals during the AM peak (07:00 to 09:59) across all major cities, with passengers travelling at slightly different times of the day compared to years prior to COVID-19.
In London, 39% of daily arrivals were in the morning peak (a reduction from 55% in the previous year) reflecting a flattening of peak-demand due to a decrease in commuting trips
Indicative estimates suggest non-social distancing seating capacity decreased by 8% compared to autumn 2019. For September to December 2020 with 1 metre social distancing, capacity fell 56% on autumn 2019.
Background information on the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics and how they are collected can be found in the notes and definitions.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Facebook
TwitterExplore our http://maps.dft.gov.uk/rail-passengers-and-crowding/interactive-dashboard/index.html">interactive dashboard.
In 2018, passenger arrivals have increased in most major cities. This is in line with the growth in rail journeys seen in recent years.
London remains the city with the highest rail passenger numbers with 8 times more passengers across the day than Birmingham, the city with the second highest.
During peak hours, more than 230,000 passengers were standing on trains in London. However, morning peak crowding in London is the lowest since 2014.
In other cities, the number of standing passengers was much lower. After London, the next highest was Birmingham with 17,300 standing. However, the percentage of passengers standing has grown across seven major cities.
Using the PiXC measure, Cambridge had the highest crowding level of 4.8% with 800 passengers over train capacity.
Background information on the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics and how they are collected can be found in the notes and definitions.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Facebook
TwitterThis release presents information from 2013 about rail passenger numbers on trains throughout the day in several major cities, as well as the levels of peak crowding.
These statistics are based on passenger counts carried out by franchised train operators of the numbers of passengers using their services in the autumn period and represent passenger numbers on a ‘typical weekday’. They cover national rail services only.
On a typical autumn weekday in 2013:
Background information on the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics and how they are collected can be found in the notes and definitions.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Facebook
TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
According to the 2021 Census, London was the most ethnically diverse region in England and Wales – 63.2% of residents identified with an ethnic minority group.
Facebook
TwitterOffice for National Statistics' national and subnational Census 2021. Highest level of qualificationThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents aged 16 years and over in England and Wales by their highest level of qualification. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. Highest level of qualification definition: The highest level of qualification is derived from the question asking people to indicate all qualifications held, or their nearest equivalent. This may include foreign qualifications where they were matched to the closest UK equivalent. The types of qualification included in each level are:Level 1 and entry level qualifications: 1 to 4 GCSEs grade A* to C , Any GCSEs at other grades, O levels or CSEs (any grades), 1 AS level, NVQ level 1, Foundation GNVQ, Basic or Essential SkillsLevel 2 qualifications: 5 or more GCSEs (A* to C or 9 to 4), O levels (passes), CSEs (grade 1), School Certification, 1 A level, 2 to 3 AS levels, VCEs, Intermediate or Higher Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Intermediate Diploma, NVQ level 2, Intermediate GNVQ, City and Guilds Craft, BTEC First or General Diploma, RSA DiplomaLevel 3 qualifications: 2 or more A levels or VCEs, 4 or more AS levels, Higher School Certificate, Progression or Advanced Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Advance Diploma, NVQ level 3; Advanced GNVQ, City and Guilds Advanced Craft, ONC, OND, BTEC National, RSA Advanced DiplomaLevel 4 qualifications or above: degree (BA, BSc), higher degree (MA, PhD, PGCE), NVQ level 4 to 5, HNC, HND, RSA Higher Diploma, BTEC Higher level, professional qualifications (for example, teaching, nursing, accountancy)Other qualifications: vocational or work-related qualifications, other qualifications achieved in England or Wales, qualifications achieved outside England or Wales (equivalent not stated or unknown)Quality information: There are quality considerations about higher education qualifications, including those at Level 4+, responses from older people and international migrants, and comparability with 2011 Census data.Comparability with 2011: Broadly comparableThe categories for this variable are the same as the ones in the 2011 Census. However, in Census 2021 the question was revised and split up to group together different qualifications. This means that the way people answered the question in Census 2021 cannot be fully compared with the answers from the 2011 Census. For example, some people who hold an older or non-UK qualification when answering the question in Census 2021 may have chosen a higher qualification level than they did in the 2011 Census, although they hold the same qualifications. This data is issued at (BGC) Generalised (20m) boundary type for:Country - England and WalesRegion - EnglandUTLA - England and WalesLTLA - England and WalesWard - England and WalesMSOA - England and WalesLSOA - England and WalesOA - England and WalesIf you require the data at full resolution boundaries, or if you are interested in the range of statistical data that Esri UK make available in ArcGIS Online please enquire at content@esriuk.com.The data services available from this page are derived from the National Data Service. The NDS delivers thousands of open national statistical indicators for the UK as data-as-a-service. Data are sourced from major providers such as the Office for National Statistics, Public Health England and Police UK and made available for your area at standard geographies such as counties, districts and wards and census output areas. This premium service can be consumed as online web services or on-premise for use throughout the ArcGIS system.Read more about the NDS.
Facebook
TwitterFollowing a change of methodology minor revisions have been made to the back-series of PiXC statistics from 2011 to 2014. The change has not affected PiXC percentages in 2015, but there have been revisions to the publication to some year-on-year percentage point changes.
Statistics on rail passenger numbers on trains throughout the day in several major cities, as well as the levels of peak crowding in 2015.
These statistics are based on passenger counts carried out by franchised train operators of the numbers of passengers using their services in the autumn period and represent passenger numbers on a ‘typical weekday’. They cover National Rail services only.
The overall level of crowding across the 11 cities included in the statistics has increased, and it is clear that much of the growth has been on routes that are already very busy.
On a typical autumn weekday in 2015:
Background information on the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics and how they are collected can be found in the notes and definitions.
Rail statistics enquiries
Email mailto:rail.stats@dft.gov.uk">rail.stats@dft.gov.uk
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Facebook
TwitterAttribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
License information was derived automatically
Context
The dataset presents the the household distribution across 16 income brackets among four distinct age groups in New Britain: Under 25 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, and over 65 years. The dataset highlights the variation in household income, offering valuable insights into economic trends and disparities within different age categories, aiding in data analysis and decision-making..
Key observations
When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
Income brackets:
Variables / Data Columns
Good to know
Margin of Error
Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.
Custom data
If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.
Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.
This dataset is a part of the main dataset for New Britain median household income by age. You can refer the same here
Facebook
TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automatically
Census 2021 data on religion by highest qualification level, by sex, by age, England and Wales combined. This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by ethnic group. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.
The religion people connect or identify with (their religious affiliation), whether or not they practise or have belief in it.
This question was voluntary and the variable includes people who answered the question, including “No religion”, alongside those who chose not to answer this question.
Total counts for some population groups may not match between published tables. This is to protect the confidentiality of individuals' data. Population counts have been rounded to the nearest 5 and any counts below 10 are suppressed, this is signified by a 'c' in the data tables.
This dataset shows population counts for usual residents aged 16 years and over. Some people aged 16 years old will not have completed key stage 4 yet on census day, and so did not have the opportunity to record any qualifications on the census.
These estimates are not comparable to Department of Education figures on highest level of attainment because they include qualifications obtained outside England and Wales.
Quality notes can be found here
Quality information about Education can be found here
Religion
The 8 ‘tickbox’ religious groups are as follows:
No qualifications
No qualifications
Level 1
Level 1 and entry level qualifications: 1 to 4 GCSEs grade A* to C , Any GCSEs at other grades, O levels or CSEs (any grades), 1 AS level, NVQ level 1, Foundation GNVQ, Basic or Essential Skills
Level 2
5 or more GCSEs (A* to C or 9 to 4), O levels (passes), CSEs (grade 1), School Certification, 1 A level, 2 to 3 AS levels, VCEs, Intermediate or Higher Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Intermediate Diploma, NVQ level 2, Intermediate GNVQ, City and Guilds Craft, BTEC First or General Diploma, RSA Diploma
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Level 3
2 or more A levels or VCEs, 4 or more AS levels, Higher School Certificate, Progression or Advanced Diploma, Welsh Baccalaureate Advance Diploma, NVQ level 3; Advanced GNVQ, City and Guilds Advanced Craft, ONC, OND, BTEC National, RSA Advanced Diploma
Level 4 +
Degree (BA, BSc), higher degree (MA, PhD, PGCE), NVQ level 4 to 5, HNC, HND, RSA Higher Diploma, BTEC Higher level, professional qualifications (for example, teaching, nursing, accountancy)
Other
Vocational or work-related qualifications, other qualifications achieved in England or Wales, qualifications achieved outside England or Wales (equivalent not stated or unknown)
Facebook
TwitterRural Urban ClassificationThe 2021 RUC is a statistical classification to provide a consistent and standardised method for classifying geographies as rural or urban. This is based on address density, physical settlement form, population size, and Relative Access to Major towns and cities (populations of over 75,000 people). The classification is produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with advice from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government and colleagues from the Government Geography Profession (GGP).This is the 2021 rural-urban classification (RUC) of the 2021 Local Authority Districts in England and Wales. This means that the 2021 RUC methodology has been applied to the 2021 LAD boundaries. LAD classifications are divided into four categories based on their populations:<!--1. Majority Rural: had at least 50% of their population residing in Rural OAs.<!--2. Intermediate Rural: 35-50% rural population<!--3. Intermediate Urban: 20-35% rural population<!--4. Urban: 20% or less of the population live in rural OAs.Each 2021 LAD category is split into one of two Relative Access categories, using the same data as the 2021 Output Area RUC. If more than 50% of a LAD population lives in ‘nearer to a major town or city’ OAs, it is deemed ‘nearer a major town or city’; otherwise, it is classified as ‘further from a major town or city.
Where data is unavailable for Super Output Area geographies, it may be appropriate for users to undertake analysis at the LAD level. At this level, the categorisation works slightly differently in that most areas will include a mix of both rural and urban areas - so the LAD RUC categorisation is a reflection of this. A statistical geography may contain substantial portions of open countryside but still be given an ‘Urban’ classification if the majority of the population within the area live in settlements that are urban in nature. Users should take this into consideration to ensure correct interpretations of any analysis of RUC LAD categories
Facebook
TwitterLondon was by far the largest urban agglomeration in the United Kingdom in 2025, with an estimated population of *** million people, more than three times as large as Manchester, the UK’s second-biggest urban agglomeration. The agglomerations of Birmingham and Leeds / Bradford had the third and fourth-largest populations, respectively, while the biggest city in Scotland, Glasgow, was the fifth largest. Largest cities in Europe Two cities in Europe had larger urban areas than London, with Istanbul having a population of around **** million and the Russian capital Moscow having a population of over **** million. The city of Paris, located just over 200 miles away from London, was the second-largest city in Europe, with a population of more than **** million people. Paris was followed by London in terms of population size, and then by the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, at *** million and *** million people, respectively. The Italian capital, Rome, was the next largest city at *** million, followed by Berlin at *** million. London’s population growth Throughout the 1980s, the population of London fluctuated from a high of **** million people in 1981 to a low of **** million inhabitants in 1988. During the 1990s, the population of London increased once again, growing from ****million at the start of the decade to **** million by 1999. London's population has continued to grow since the turn of the century, and despite declining between 2019 and 2021, it reached *** million people in 2023 and is forecast to reach almost *** million by 2047.