As of 2019, the population of the London metropolitan area was approximately 14.37 million people, an increase of 2.3 million when compared with 2002. The London metropolitan area covers an area that is larger than Greater London, and includes areas from which it is possible to commute to London for work.

In 2023, Croydon had the largest population among London's 32 boroughs at 397,741, while Kensington and Chelsea had the smallest population, at 147,460.

The population of London was approximately 8.9 million in 2023, an increase of over two million people when compared with the early 1980s. Throughout the 1980s, the population of the United Kingdom's capital grew at a relatively slow rate, before accelerating to a much faster rate in the 1990s. London is by far the largest city / urban agglomeration in the United Kingdom, more than three times larger than the next largest cities of Manchester and Birmingham. London’s forecasted population is expected to continue growing at much the same pace it has been growing since the mid-1990s and reach almost 9.8 million by 2042. London boroughs As of 2022, the London borough with the highest population was Croydon, at approximately 392,224, followed by Barnet at 389,101. Overall, London is divided into 33 different boroughs, with London's historic center, the City of London, having by far the smallest population, at just 10,847. Residents of the City of London, however, have the highest average median weekly earnings among all of London's boroughs, at 1,138 pounds per week, compared with just 588 pounds per week in Redbridge, the lowest average weekly earnings among London boroughs. While the overall unemployment rate for London was 4.3 percent in early 2023, this ranged from 6.8 percent in Brent, to just 2.3 percent in Kingston upon Thames.
Economic imbalance Aside from being the UK's largest city in terms of population, London is also undoubtedly the UK's cultural, political and economic center. As of 2021, the GDP of Greater London was approximately 496.4 billion British pounds, just over 23 percent of the UK's overall GDP. In the same year, GDP per person in London was 56,431 pounds compared with the UK average of 31,947 pounds. Additionally, productivity in London is far higher than the UK average. As measured by output per hour worked, London was 33.2 percent more productive than the rest of the UK.

Land area and population density figures for 2001 to 2050 for wards and boroughs. Ward data begins in 2011.

Population figure included are GLA estimate (2016-based projections), 2011 Census and ONS Mid-year Estimates.

GLA figures are based on GLA population projections. Select which year you require from the drop-down box in the spreadsheet.

Inland area takes account of water line. Areas with large bodies of water will have a smaller inland area than total area since some of the area will be water.

Land area figures are taken from Ordnance Survey boundaries using MapInfo.

Daytime population - The estimated number of people in a borough in the daytime during an average day, broken down by component sub-groups. The figures given are an average day during school term-time. No account has been made for seasonal variations, or for people who are usually in London (resident, at school or working), but are away visiting another place. Sources include the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) (available under license), Annual Population Survey (APS), 2011 Census, Department for Education (DfE), International Passenger Survey (IPS), GB Tourism Survey (GBTS), Great Britain Day Visit Survey (GBDVS), GLA Population Projections, and GLA Economics estimates (GLAE). The figures published in these sources have been used exactly as they appear - no further adjustments have been made to account for possible sampling errors or questionnaire design flaws. Day trip visitors are defined as those on day trips away from home for three hours or more and not undertaking activities that would regularly constitute part of their work or would be a regular leisure activity. International visitors – people from a country other than the UK visiting the location; Domestic overnight tourists – people from other parts of the UK staying in the location for at least one night. All visitor data is modelled and unrounded. This edition was released on 7 October 2015 and replaces the previous estimates for 2013. GLA resident population, 2011 Census resident population, and 2011 Census workday populations (by sex) included for comparison. See a visualisation of this data using Tableau. For more workday population data by age use the Custom Age-Range Tool for Census 2011 Workday population , or download data for a range of geographical levels from NOMIS.

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.

Excel Age-Range creator for Office for National Statistics (ONS) Mid year population estimates (MYE) covering each year between 1999 and 2016 These files take into account the revised estimates for 2002-2010 released in April 2013 down to Local Authority level and the post 2011 estimates based on the Census results. Scotland and Northern Ireland data has not been revised, so Great Britain and United Kingdom totals comprise the original data for these plus revised England and Wales figures. This Excel based tool enables users to query the single year of age raw data so that any age range can easily be calculated without having to carry out often complex, and time consuming formulas that could also be open to human error. Simply select the lower and upper age range for both males and females and the spreadsheet will return the total population for the range. Please adhere to the terms and conditions of supply contained within the file. Tip: You can copy and paste the rows you are interested in to another worksheet by using the filters at the top of the columns and then select all by pressing Ctrl+A. Then simply copy and paste the cells to a new location. ONS Mid year population estimates Open Excel tool (London Boroughs, Regions and National, 1999-2016) Also available is a custom-age tool for all geographies in the UK. Open the tool for all UK geographies (local authority and above) for: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. This full MYE dataset by single year of age (SYA) age and gender is available as a Datastore package here. Ward Level Population estimates Single year of age population tool for 2002 to 2015 for all wards in London. New 2014 Ward boundary estimates Ward boundary changes in May 2014 only affected three London boroughs - Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, and Tower Hamlets. The estimates between 2001-2013 have been calculated by the GLA by taking the proportion of a the old ward that falls within the new ward based on the proportion of population living in each area at the 2011 Census. Therefore, these estimates are purely indicative and are not official statistics and not endorsed by ONS. From 2014 onwards, ONS began publishing official estimates for the new ward boundaries. Download here.

Estimates of London's population between 1801 and 2021 (persons present 1801 to 1971 and usual residents for 1981 to 2021) derived from historic Census data. Figures for years before 1931 are estimates by the Greater London Council published in Research Memorandum 413, 'The Changing Population of the London Boroughs'. Figures for 1931, 1951, and 1961 were published in 'Census 1961 Greater London Tables'; Figures for 1971 to 2021 are taken from individual censuses.

Context

These ward level well being scores present a combined measure of well-being indicators of the resident population based on 12 different indicators over period from 2009 to 2013 year.

Content

The london-ward-well-being.csv file contains the
London Ward Well-Being Scores. of rows - 3276 of columns - 16

Columns

Life_Expectancy - "Rolling 5-year combined life expectancies are used for wards to reduce the efffects of the variability in number of deaths in each year. Index scores were reversed so higher life expectancy equals better well-being. Source: ONS mortality data and GLA population projections, GLA Calculations."

Childhood_Obesity - "Prevalence of obesity by area of child residence. The estimates use the latest three years of NCMP data combined eg '2013' covers 2010/11 to 2012/13. Children with a BMI greater than or equal to the 95th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) BMI distribution have been classified as obese. Earliest data available is 2008/09 to 2010/11, which has been used for 2009-2011. Source: National Obesity Observatory"

Incapacity_Benefit - "Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance claimant rate. Incapacity Benefit (IB) is paid to people who are incapable of work and who meet certain contribution conditions. Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) is paid to those unable to work for 28 weeks in a row or more because of illness or disability. SDA was removed for new claims in April 2001. Time period used is a snapshot of May from each year. Demominator is population aged 16-64. Source: IB/SDA from DWP, Population from GLA projections."

Unemployment - "Percentage of working-age residents claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or National Insurance Credits. JSA is a benefit payable to unemployed people. In general, to be entitled to claim a person must be available for work, be actively seeking work, and have entered into a Jobseeker's Agreement with Jobcentre Plus. This is not an official measure of unemployment but is the only statistic available for smaller areas than local authorities. Source: JSA from DWP, Population from GLA projections."

Crime - Crime rate. Index scores of overall notifiable offences per 1,000 daytime population. Daytime population used as denominator because areas with high crime rates tend to be areas with high daytime populations (ie non-resident) and therefore don't directly relate to well-being of the resident population. Consequently, a lower proportion of crimes in town centres would be against a resident. Source: MPS, Home Office, and ONS Workday population 2011 Census.
Deliberate_Fires-"Deliberate Fires. Rate of all Deliberate Fire incidents (arson) recorded by the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority per 1,000 population. Source: LFEPA via LASS team at GLA, and Population from GLA projections."

GCSE_points-"GCSE average point scores. GCSE and Equivalent point scores for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (KS4) in maintained schools (Referenced by Location of Pupil Residence). Capped Point Scores are based on the best 8 results made by each pupil. Ward data calculated by apportioning Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) data. Index scores were reversed so higher GCSE scores equals better well-being. Source: DfE (on Neighbourhood Statistics)."

Unauthorised_Absence-"Unauthorised Pupil Absence. Pupil Absence in all maintained schools (Referenced by Location of Pupil Residence). Unauthorised Absence is absence without permission from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. Ward data calculated by apportioning Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) data. Source: DfE (on Neighbourhood Statistics)."

Dependent_children-"% of Children living in Out-of-work Benefit Claimant Households. Data represent the number of children dependent on a parent or guardian who is claiming one or a combination of out-of-work benefits. Source: DWP and GLA population projections"

Public_Transport_Access-"The average Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) score. PTALs are a detailed and accurate measure of the accessibility of a point to the public transport network, taking into account walk access time and service availability. The method is essentially a way of measuring the density of the public transport network at any location within Greater London. Population weighted average scores were calculated using output area data. There are 9 levels of access, 0 to 9 (0 to 6b has 9 seperate levels). Each area was given an average score out of 8, where 8 is the highest level of accessibility. Open space was removed from the data as no population lives there. There was no PTAL data in 2013 so 2014 has been used for that year. Source: PTAL contours from Transport for London, further calculations by GLA. Link:http://www.tfl.gov.uk/bus...

This Update from the GLA Intelligence Unit analyses the ONS 2014 mid-year population estimates and associated components of change focussing on London and comparing these to ONS and GLA population projections.

In 2015 London's population surpassed its previous peak of 8.6 million people. This dataset contains an excel workbook showing borough population estimates and projections for the period 1939 - 2039 and a brief summary of population change in the capital.

The GLA Interim 2021-based population projections (January 2023) comprise both trend-based variant projections and housing-led scenario projections. This dataset contains the detailed methodology documentation for the model and is published alongside the population projections data to assist users in understanding the projections and identifying which set of projections is most appropriate for their needs.

The projections themselves can be downloaded here: Population and Household Projections

This report from the GLA Intelligence Unit compares 2011 census estimates of the population aged 0-18 to the following alternative data sources: • ONS 2010 based sub-national population projections (SNPP); • GLA 2011 round population projections; • General Practitioner registrations; and • Child benefit claims. The report is available to download here. An Excel file containing the data behind charts and tables in the report is available to download here

🇬🇧 United Kingdom English Estimates of London's population between 1801 and 2021 (persons present 1801 to 1971 and usual residents for 1981 to 2021) derived from historic Census data. Figures for years before 1931 are estimates by the Greater London Council published in Research Memorandum 413, 'The Changing Population of the London Boroughs'. Figures for 1931, 1951, and 1961 were published in 'Census 1961 Greater London Tables'; Figures for 1971 to 2021 are taken from individual censuses.

Estimates of London's population between 1801 and 2001 (persons present 1801 to 1991 and residents for 2001 onwards) derived from historic Census data.

Sources: years to 1971 - Greater London Council Research Memorandum 413, The Changing Population of the London Boroughs; 1981 Census Small Area Statistics, Table 1; 1991 Census Small Area Statistics, Table 1. Figure for Year-1939 is a mid-year estimate for the year 1939. Figure for Year-2001 onwards is the number of residents because the number of persons present is not available from 2001. Note that totals for Greater London may not match due to rounding errors. Figures are estimates to the nearest thousand.

By 2047 the population of London is expected to reach 9.97 million people, an increase of almost 699,500 when compared with 2025. While there has been quite a steep rise in its population in recent years, London’s population growth was relatively stagnant throughout the 1980s and even decreased slightly towards the end of that decade. After peaking at 8.89 million in 2019, the population of London has fallen slightly, to 8.8 million by 2021. UK population forecast Like London, the population of the United Kingdom is forecast to continue to grow well into the middle of the century. By 2046, the population of the UK is estimated to be over 76.3 million people, an increase of over 20 million people when compared with the population figures for 1976. Additionally, the average age of the population is predicted to increase from 39.5 years in 2020 to 44.5 years by the mid-2040s, and continue to increase towards the end of the century. London looms large In the UK, London is by far the largest urban agglomeration in the country, dwarfing the UK's next largest cities of Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. London also has a dominant economic position in the UK, with the city accounting for around a quarter of the total GDP in the country. The UK capital also has a far higher GDP per head than the rest of the county, at over ****** pounds in 2023, compared with the UK average of ****** pounds.

This dataset shows different breakdowns of London's resident population by their country of birth. Data used comes from ONS' Annual Population Survey (APS).

The APS has a sample of around 320,000 people in the UK (around 28,000 in London). As such all figures must be treated with some caution. 95% confidence interval levels are provided.

Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand and figures for smaller populations have been suppressed.

Four files are available for download:

• Country of Birth - Borough: Shows country of birth estimates in their broad groups such as European Union, South East Asia, North Africa, etc. broken down to borough level.
• Detailed Country of Birth - London: Shows country of birth estimates for specific countries such as France, Bangladesh, Nigeria, etc. available for London as a whole
• Demography Update 09-2015: A GLA Demography report that uses APS data to analyse the trends in London for the period 2004 to 2014. A supporting data file is also provided.
• Country of Birth Borough 2004-2016 Analysis Tool: A tool produced by GLA Demography that allows users to explore different breakdowns of country of birth data.

An accompanying Tableau visualisation tool has also been produced which maps data from 2004 to 2015.

Nationality data can be found here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/nationality

Nationality refers to that stated by the respondent during the interview. Country of birth is the country in which they were born. It is possible that an individual’s nationality may change, but the respondent’s country of birth cannot change. This means that country of birth gives a more robust estimate of change over time.

The focus for this resource is Greater London. In the 2021 Census, the population of Greater London was recorded as 8.8 Million people.

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).

This table shows whether people aged 16 or over have ever used or never used the internet by a range of variables such as age, ethnicity, pay, occupation, qualifications, and disability. The question asked in the Labour Force Survey is "When did you last use the internet?" This question is only asked to people aged 16 and over. The first time this data was available was 2011 Q1. At borough level the data showed ever used or never used. For London and Rest of UK the data is broken down by a range of indicators, including age, ethnic group, weekly pay, occupation levels, qualification levels, and economic activity. The APS sampled around 333,000 people in the UK (around 27,000 in London). As such all figures must be treated with some caution. Data was supplied directly by ONS under request from the Greater London Authority. Numbers rounded to the nearest thousand. Other Internet Access data can be found on the ONS website. This is national data based on the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.