Indicators included have been derived from the published 2019 mid-year population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are the number of persons and percentage of the population aged 65 years and over, 85 years and over, 0 to 15 years, 16 to 64 years, 16 years to State Pension age, State Pension age and over, median age and the Old Age Dependency Ratio (the number of people of State Pension age per 1000 of those aged 16 years to below State Pension age).

This dataset has been produced by the Ageing Analysis Team for inclusion in a subnational ageing tool, which was published in July 2020. The tool enables users to compare latest and projected measures of ageing for up to four different areas through selection on a map or from a drop-down menu.

This graph shows the resident population projection of elderly people in the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2050, by age group. There is expected to be an overall growth in the number of elderly people. It is expected that all age groups over the age of 60 are expected to increase in number; most substantially, those aged over 80 years.

Projected indicators included are derived from the published 2018-based subnational population projections for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland up to the year 2043. The indicators are the projected percentage of the population aged 65 years and over, 85 years and over, 0 to 15 years, 16 to 64 years, 16 years to State Pension age, State Pension age and over, median age and the Old Age Dependency Ratio (the number of people of State Pension age per 1000 of those aged 16 years to below State Pension age).

This dataset has been produced by the Ageing Analysis Team for inclusion in the subnational ageing tool, which was published on July 20, 2020 (see link in Related datasets). The tool is interactive, and users can compare latest and projected measures of ageing for up to four different areas through selection on a map or from a drop-down menu.

Note on data sources: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland independently publish subnational population projections and the data available here are a compilation of these datasets. The ONS publish national level data for the UK, England, Wales and England & Wales, which has been included. National level data for Scotland and Northern Ireland have been taken from their subnational population projections datasets.

This statistic shows the distribution of elderly population (aged 65 and over) as a share of population in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1976 to 2046. Over this 70 year period the share of elderly people within the population of the UK is expected to increase by over 10 percent, reaching 24.7 percent of the forecast total population of 2046.

These data tables underlie the ‘Ageing in the UK’ interactive mapping tool. Using the tool helps bring these data alive, allowing you to analyse the age structure of the population at the local area level more easily. You can see how the population has aged over time and is projected to continue to age by selecting from a list of indicators of population ageing, such as median age, and animating the map. It is also possible to export jpegs of the maps you produce. Source agency: Office for National Statistics Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: Ageing in the UK Datasets

There were over 4.7 million people aged between 30 and 34 in the United Kingdom in 2023, making it the most populous age group in that year. Those aged between 35 and 39 years comprised the next most numerous age group in 2023, at over 4.64 million people. Millennials overtake Boomers as biggest generation Post-war demographic trends, particularly the 'baby boom' phenomenon, have significantly influenced the current age distribution in the UK. The postwar peak of live births in 1947 resulted in the dominance of the Baby Boomer generation for several decades, until 2020 when Millennials became the largest generational cohort, surpassing the Boomers for the first time. The following year, the UK Boomer population was then overtaken by Generation X, the generation born between Boomers and Millennials. Generation Z, however, remains smaller than the three generations that preceded it, at 12.9 million individuals in 2022. Aging UK population poses challenges The median age of the UK population is projected to reach 44.5 years by 2050, compared to 34.9 years in 1950. This aging trend is indicative of broader global demographic shifts, with the median age of people worldwide forecasted to increase from 23.6 years in 1950 to 41.9 years by 2100. How countries like the UK manage their aging populations will be one of the key challenges of the next few decades. It is likely the UK's struggling National Health Service (NHS) will come under even more pressure in the coming years. There are also tough economic questions, in particular as more people enter retirement age and the UK's working population gets smaller in relation to it.

United Kingdom UK: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 19.866 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.721 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 17.961 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.866 % in 2017 and a record low of 13.977 % in 1960. United Kingdom UK: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above 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. Female population 65 years of age or older as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

In 2023, there were estimated to be 956,116 people who were aged 35 in the United Kingdom, the most of any age in this year. The two largest age groups during this year were 30-34, and 35 to 39, at 4.7 million and 4.64 million people respectively. There is also a noticeable spike of 693,679 people who were aged 76, which is due to the high number of births that followed in the aftermath of the Second World War. Over one million born in 1964 In post-war Britain, there have only been two years when the number of live births was over one million, in 1947 and in 1964. The number of births recorded in the years between these two years was consistently high as well, with 1955 having the fewest births in this period at 789,000. This meant that until relatively recently, Baby Boomers were the largest generational cohort in the UK. As of 2022, there were approximately 13.76 million Baby Boomers, compared with 14 million in Generation X, 14.48 million Millennials, and 12.9 million members of Gen Z. The youngest generation in the UK, Generation Alpha numbered approximately 7.5 million in the same year. Median age to hit 44.5 years by 2050 The population of the United Kingdom is aging at a substantial rate, with the median age of the population expected to reach 44.5 years by 2050. By comparison, in 1950 the average age in the United Kingdom stood at 34.9 years. This phenomenon is not unique to the United Kingdom, with median age of people worldwide increasing from 23.6 years in 1950 to a forecasted 41.9 years by 2100. As of 2022, the region with the oldest median age in the UK was South West England, at 43.9 years, compared with 35.9 in London, the region with the youngest median age.

United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 56.810 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 56.175 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 54.363 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 60.489 % in 1973 and a record low of 51.330 % in 2007. United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data was reported at 29.037 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 28.659 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data is updated yearly, averaging 23.904 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29.037 % in 2017 and a record low of 18.068 % in 1960. United Kingdom UK: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

This statistic depicts the age distribution of the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 17.41 percent of the population in the United Kingdom fell into the 0-14 year category, 63.35 percent into the 15-64 age group and 19.24 percent were over 65 years of age. The same year, the total UK population amounted to about 67.26 million people.

United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged 60 & Over F & 65 & Over M data was reported at 11,989.322 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 11,814.085 Person th for 2016. United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged 60 & Over F & 65 & Over M data is updated yearly, averaging 10,605.000 Person th from Jun 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,992.354 Person th in 2014 and a record low of 9,123.000 Person th in 1971. United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged 60 & Over F & 65 & Over M data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.G001: Population.

Annual mid-year population estimates for those aged 90 years and over by sex and single year of age (90 to 104 years), and the 105 years and over age group, UK.

This statistic shows the elderly population (ages 65 and over) as a percentage of the total population in the United Kingdom (UK) as forecasted from 2013 to 2060. The elderly share of the population is projected to increase over the 47 year period by 7.5 percentage points.

Both indicators included have been derived from the published 2019 mid-year population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These are sex ratios for people aged 65 years and over and 85 years and over. A sex ratio shows the number of males in the population for every 100 females.

This dataset has been produced by the Ageing Analysis Team for inclusion in a subnational ageing tool, which was published in July 2020. The tool enables users to compare latest and projected measures of ageing for up to four different areas through selection on a map or from a drop-down menu.

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) is a longitudinal survey of ageing and quality of life among older people that explores the dynamic relationships between health and functioning, social networks and participation, and economic position as people plan for, move into and progress beyond retirement. The main objectives of ELSA are to:

• construct waves of accessible and well-documented panel data;
• provide these data in a convenient and timely fashion to the scientific and policy research community;
• describe health trajectories, disability and healthy life expectancy in a representative sample of the English population aged 50 and over;
• examine the relationship between economic position and health;
• investigate the determinants of economic position in older age;
• describe the timing of retirement and post-retirement labour market activity; and
• understand the relationships between social support, household structure and the transfer of assets.

Further information may be found on the "https://www.elsa-project.ac.uk/"> ELSA project website, the or Natcen Social Research: ELSA web pages.

Wave 11 data has been deposited - May 2025

For the 45th edition (May 2025) ELSA Wave 11 core and pension grid data and documentation were deposited. Users should note this dataset version does not contain the survey weights. A version with the survey weights along with IFS and financial derived datasets will be deposited in due course. In the meantime, more information about the data collection or the data collected during this wave of ELSA can be found in the Wave 11 Technical Report or the User Guide.

Health conditions research with ELSA - June 2021

The ELSA Data team have found some issues with historical data measuring health conditions. If you are intending to do any analysis looking at the following health conditions, then please read the ELSA User Guide or if you still have questions contact elsadata@natcen.ac.uk for advice on how you should approach your analysis. The affected conditions are: eye conditions (glaucoma; diabetic eye disease; macular degeneration; cataract), CVD conditions (high blood pressure; angina; heart attack; Congestive Heart Failure; heart murmur; abnormal heart rhythm; diabetes; stroke; high cholesterol; other heart trouble) and chronic health conditions (chronic lung disease; asthma; arthritis; osteoporosis; cancer; Parkinson's Disease; emotional, nervous or psychiatric problems; Alzheimer's Disease; dementia; malignant blood disorder; multiple sclerosis or motor neurone disease).

For information on obtaining data from ELSA that are not held at the UKDS, see the ELSA Genetic data access and Accessing ELSA data webpages.

Wave 10 Health data
Users should note that in Wave 10, the health section of the ELSA questionnaire has been revised and all respondents were asked anew about their health conditions, rather than following the prior approach of asking those who had taken part in the past waves to confirm previously recorded conditions. Due to this reason, the health conditions feed-forward data was not archived for Wave 10, as was done in previous waves.

Harmonized dataset:

Users of the Harmonized dataset who prefer to use the Stata version will need access to Stata MP software, as the version G3 file contains 11,779 variables (the limit for the standard Stata 'Intercooled' version is 2,047).

ELSA COVID-19 study:
A separate ad-hoc study conducted with ELSA respondents, measuring the socio-economic effects/psychological impact of the lockdown on the aged 50+ population of England, is also available under SN 8688, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing COVID-19 Study.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the England, AR population pyramid, which represents the England population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for England, AR, is 30.4.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for England, AR, is 24.3.
• Total dependency ratio for England, AR is 54.7.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for England, AR is 4.1.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the England population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the England for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the England for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the England for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

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.

Inspiration

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/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for England Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Middlesbrough’s current population was estimated to be 140,398 in 2016 by the Office of National Statistics (Mid-year population estimates 2016). With a total area of 5,387 hectares, Middlesbrough is the smallest and second most densely-populated local authority area in the north east. Significant changes in the population demographics of Middlesbrough since the 2001 Census highlight an increasingly diverse and ageing population in the town.Age[1]Middlesbrough has a younger population than both the national and regional averages, however there has been significant growth in the ageing population since Census 2001.20.58% of Middlesbrough’s resident population are Children and Young People aged 0 to 15 years. This is higher than the England rate of 19.05% and the north east rate of 17.74%.63.56% are ‘working age’ between 16 and 64 years. This is higher than both the England rate of 63.07% and the north east rate of 63.01%.15.90% are ‘older people’ aged over 65 years. This is lower than both the England rate of 17.88% and the north east rate of 19.25%.Gender [2]50.85% of Middlesbrough’s population were estimated to be female. This is in line with both the England rate of 50.60% and the north east rate of 50.92%49.15% of Middlesbrough’s population were estimated to be male. This is in line with the England rate of 49.40% and the north east rate of 49.08%.Women in Middlesbrough live longer than men, with 17.62% of women are aged over 65 years. This is lower than both the England rate of 19.75% and the north east rate of 21.43%The gender breakdown of Council employment figures is 70.57% women and 29.42% men. This is not reflective of the wider labour market figures of 47% and 53% respectively[3] though it is broadly comparable with the employment levels in other local authorities.[4]Sexual Orientation[5]Office for National Statistics has estimated that 94.6% of Middlesbrough’s population identify as heterosexual or straight, with 1.2% identifying as gay or lesbian, 0.4% identify as bisexual, as a result of the Annual Population Survey 2016. This is higher than the north east region and England.Ethnic Diversity[6]Middlesbrough is the most ethnically diverse local authority area in the Tees Valley, with a British Minority Ethnic population of 11.7% identified at Census 2011, an increase of 86% since 2001 and which is projected to grow further.88.18% of Middlesbrough’s resident population were classed as White (with various sub-groups) this was lower than the north east rate of 93.63% but higher than the England rate of 79.75%. Middlesbrough is the second most ethnically diverse local authority in the north east, behind Newcastle upon Tyne with 81.92% classed as White.7.78% were classed as Asian/Asian British (with sub-groups), this is higher than the north east rate of 2.87% but slightly lower albeit in lien with the England rate of 7.82%. Again, Middlesbrough is only behind Newcastle upon Tyne on this measure (9.67%), however has the highest percentage in the Tees Valley.1.71% of the population were identified as Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups (with sub-groups), this was higher than the north east rate of 0.86% but slower than the national rate of 2.25%. Middlesbrough had the highest percentage of this group in the north east.1.25% of the population were identified as Black/Africa/Caribbean/Black British, this was higher than the north east rate of 0.51% but lower than the England rate of 3.48%. Middlesbrough is only behind Newcastle upon Tyne on this measure (1.84%), however has the highest percentage in the Tees Valley.1.08% of the population were identified as Other Ethnic Group, this was higher than both the England rate of 1.03% and the north east rate of 0.43%. Middlesbrough is only behind Newcastle upon Tyne with 1.46%, however has the highest percentage in the Tees Valley.8.2% of Middlesbrough’s total population were born outside of the UK as at census 2011, this was lower than the England rate of 8.21% but almost double the north east rate of 4.95%. Middlesbrough has the highest percentage of residents born outside of the UK in the Tees Valley, however it is second behind Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east.15.74% of Asylum seekers in the north east were reported to be resident in Middlesbrough in the period October to December 2017 (Q4). Newcastle upon Tyne has the highest rate with 23.66%, followed by Stockton-on-Tees with 19.73%, this places Middlesbrough third in the north east and second in the Tees Valley.ONS reports a rise in the number of Non-British nationals per 1,000 of the resident population, with 51.1 in 2011 and 72.5 in 2015. This is higher than the north east with 27.7 rising to 34.3 and lower than England at 83.5 rising to 93.2Gender Identity[7]The Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES) estimates that about 1% of the British population are gender nonconforming to some degree. The numbers of Trans boys and Trans girls are about equal. The number of people seeking treatment is growing every year.Based on GIRES estimate, around 1,400 members of Middlesbrough’s population could be gender nonconforming, however this is an estimate.Whilst there is a requirement for data on gender identity, there are currently no means for recording it. The Office for National Statistics is currently considering the addition of a question on Gender Identity for the 2021 Census, however at this time it is under consultation as to how it will be added and worded to best suit this group of the population.Religion and Belief71.59% of Middlesbrough’s resident population were identified as having religion in the 2011 census. This is higher than both England with 68.09% and the north east with 70.52%22.25% of the population were identified as having no religion, this was lower than both England with 24.74% and the north east with 23.40%.6.16% of the population did not state their religion, this was lower than England with 7.18%, but higher than the north east with 6.08%.63.23% of the population were identified as Christian, this was higher than England with 59.38% but lower than the north east with 67.52%.7.05% of the population were identified as Muslim, this was higher than both England with 5.02% and the north east with 1.80%. Middlesbrough has the highest Muslim population in the north east and the Tees Valley.The remaining proportion of the population were identified as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh and ‘Other religion’ each accounting for less than 1% of the population. This trend is seen in the England and north east averages.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the New Britain population by age cohorts (Children: Under 18 years; Working population: 18-64 years; Senior population: 65 years or more). It lists the population in each age cohort group along with its percentage relative to the total population of New Britain. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution across children, working population and senior population for dependency ratio, housing requirements, ageing, migration patterns etc.

Key observations

The largest age group was 18 to 64 years with a poulation of 2,035 (72.11% of the total population). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Age cohorts:

• Under 18 years
• 18 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age cohort for the New Britain population analysis. Total expected values are 3 groups ( Children, Working Population and Senior Population).
• Population: The population for the age cohort in New Britain is shown in the following column.
• Percent of Total Population: The population as a percent of total population of the New Britain is shown in the following column.

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.

Inspiration

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/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for New Britain Population by Age. You can refer the same here

The UK pension fund market witnessed a valuation of $4.25 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compelling CAGR of 4.22% during the forecast period (2025-2033). The increasing life expectancy, rising awareness about financial planning, and favorable government initiatives are primarily driving the growth of the market. Moreover, defined contribution (DC) plans are gaining popularity, supported by auto-enrollment and matched contributions. The UK pension fund market is highly competitive, with several major players holding significant market share. Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Natwest Group Pension Fund, Electricity Supply Pension Scheme (ESPS), BT Pension Scheme (BTPS), and Railway Pension Scheme (RPIL) are among the leading companies in the market. These companies offer a wide range of pension products and services, including defined benefit (DB) plans, DC plans, and hybrid plans. The market is also witnessing the emergence of new players, particularly in the fintech sector, offering innovative pension solutions and digital platforms. Recent developments include: In January 2024, Aptia, a fresh player in the pensions, health, and benefits administration sector, has been formally introduced. The company's inception follows its initial announcement in June 2023, which came after Bain Capital Insurance acquired the UK pension administration and US health and benefits administration segments of Mercer., In June 2023, NatWest Group finalized the purchase of a majority stake in Cushon, a fintech specializing in workplace savings and pensions. The agreement, reached in February 2023, saw NatWest Group acquiring 85% of Cushon for Euro 144 million (USD 157.37 million), while Cushon management retained the remaining 15%. This acquisition received approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in May.. Key drivers for this market are: Shift to Capital Light Products from Traditional Products, A Push for Technology-Led Engagement. Potential restraints include: Shift to Capital Light Products from Traditional Products, A Push for Technology-Led Engagement. Notable trends are: Ageing population rate in United Kingdom affecting United Kingdom Pension Funds Market.