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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 UKâs 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. Londonâs 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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
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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).
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TwitterODC Public Domain Dedication and Licence (PDDL) v1.0http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/pddl/1.0/
License information was derived automatically
This is a collection of simple maps in PDF format that are designed to be printed off and used in the classroom. The include maps of Great Britain that show the location of major rivers, cities and mountains as well as maps of continents and the World. There is very little information on the maps to allow teachers to download them and add their own content to fit with their lesson plans. Customise one print out then photocopy them for your lesson. data not available yet, holding data set (7th August). Other. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2012-08-07 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-22.
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TwitterđŹđ§ ìê” English Digital vector boundaries for Major Towns and Cities in England and Wales in 2015. The Major Towns and Cities (TCITY) statistical geography provides a precise definition of the major towns and cities in England and Wales. The geography has been developed specifically for the production and analysis of statistics, and is based on the Built-Up Areas geography that was created for the release of 2011 Census data. 112 TCITY More ONS 2011 Boundaries can be found here http://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/ All these products are supplied under the Open Government Licence and Ordnance Survey Open Data terms and conditions. Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.
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TwitterDigital vector boundaries for Major Towns and Cities in England and Wales in 2015. The Major Towns and Cities (TCITY) statistical geography provides a precise definition of the major towns and cities in England and Wales. The geography has been developed specifically for the production and analysis of statistics, and is based on the Built-Up Areas geography that was created for the release of 2011 Census data. 112 TCITY More ONS 2011 Boundaries can be found here http://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/ All these products are supplied under the Open Government Licence and Ordnance Survey Open Data terms and conditions. Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.
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TwitterOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
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Towns in England and Wales: towns list, cities list, classification and population data.
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TwitterAttribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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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 Databaseâs UK â 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;
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TwitterThese statistics on transport use are published weekly.
For each day, the Department for Transport produces statistics on domestic transport:
The full time series for these statistics, starting 1 March 2020, is usually published here every Wednesday at 9.30am.
The associated methodology notes set out information on the data sources and methodology used to generate these headline measures.
For the charts previously published alongside daily coronavirus press conferences, please see the slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conferences.
| Mode | Publication and link | Latest period covered and next publication |
|---|---|---|
| Road traffic | Road traffic statistics | Quarterly data up to September 2020 was published December 2020. Full annual data up to December 2020 will be published on 28 April 2021. Statistics for the first quarter of 2021 are expected in June 2021. |
| Rail usage | The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes a range of statistics including passenger and freight rail performance and usage. Statistics are available at the https://www.orr.gov.uk/published-statistics" class="govuk-link">ORR website Statistics for rail passenger numbers and crowding on weekdays in major cities in England and Wales are published by DfT | ORRâs quarterly rail usage statistics for 2020 to 2021 were published on 11 March 2021. Quarterly data up to March 2021 and annual data for 2020 to 2021 will be published on 3 June 2021. DfTâs most recent annual passenger numbers and crowding statistics for 2019 were published on 24 September 2020. Statistics for 2020 will be released in summer 2021. |
| Bus usage | Bus statistics | The most recent annual publication covered the year ending March 2020. The data for the year ending March 2021 is due to be published in October 2021. The most recent quarterly publication covered October to December 2020. The data for January to March 2021 is due to be published in June 2021. |
| TFL tube and bus usage | Data on buses is covered by the section above. https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/busiest-times-to-travel" class="govuk-link">Station level business data is available. | |
| Cycling usage | Walking and cycling statistics, England | 2019 calendar year 2020 calendar year data is due to be published in August 2021 |
| Cross Modal and journey by purpose | National Travel Survey | 2019 calendar year 2020 calendar year data is due to be published in August 2021 |
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Twitterhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licenceshttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licences
The document provides a methodological note and user guidance for the ONS Major Towns and Cities. (File Size - 2 MB)
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TwitterOur 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 transport.statistics@dft.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards.
These statistics on transport use are published monthly.
For each day, the Department for Transport (DfT) produces statistics on domestic transport:
The associated methodology notes set out information on the data sources and methodology used to generate these headline measures.
From September 2023, these statistics include a second rail usage time series which excludes Elizabeth Line service (and other relevant services that have been replaced by the Elizabeth line) from both the travel week and its equivalent baseline week in 2019. This allows for a more meaningful like-for-like comparison of rail demand across the period because the effects of the Elizabeth Line on rail demand are removed. More information can be found in the methodology document.
The table below provides the reference of regular statistics collections published by DfT on these topics, with their last and upcoming publication dates.
| Mode | Publication and link | Latest period covered and next publication |
|---|---|---|
| Road traffic | Road traffic statistics | Full annual data up to December 2024 was published in June 2025. Quarterly data up to March 2025 was published June 2025. |
| Rail usage | The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes a range of statistics including passenger and freight rail performance and usage. Statistics are available at the https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/">ORR website. Statistics for rail passenger numbers and crowding on weekdays in major cities in England and Wales are published by DfT. |
ORRâs latest quarterly rail usage statistics, covering January to March 2025, was published in June 2025. DfTâs most recent annual passenger numbers and crowding statistics for 2024 were published in July 2025. |
| Bus usage | Bus statistics | The most recent annual publication covered the year ending March 2024. The most recent quarterly publication covered April to June 2025. |
| TfL tube and bus usage | Data on buses is covered by the section above. https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/busiest-times-to-travel">Station level business data is available. | |
| Cross Modal and journey by purpose | National Travel Survey | 2024 calendar year data published in August 2025. |
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Twitterhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licenceshttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licences
This file contains names and codes for Major Towns and Cities (TCITY) in England and Wales as at December 2015. (File size - 16KB).
The TCITY statistical geography provides a precise definition of the major towns and cities in England and Wales. The geography has been developed specifically for the production and analysis of statistics, and is based on the Built-Up Areas geography that was created for the release of 2011 Census data.
Field Names - TCITYCD, TCITYNM, FID
Field Types - Text, Text, Number
Field Lengths - 9, 20
FID = The FID, or Feature ID is created by the publication process when the names and codes / lookup products are published to the Open Geography portal. REST URL of Feature Access Service â https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Major_Towns_and_Cities_Dec_2015_Names_and_Codes_in_England_and_Wales_2022/FeatureServer
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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
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TwitterThis statistic shows the percentage of green space in major cities in the United Kingdom in 2016. The major Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow have the highest percentage of green space, with **** and ** percent respectively.
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TwitterThe department are reviewing the rail passenger numbers and crowding statistical publication. We are carrying out a https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/railnumbersandcrowdingpublication">user feedback survey to see how we can make this publication better, more informative and more user friendly. All contributions to this survey are welcomed.
In autumn 2017, rail passenger numbers fell in many major cities, including London. Crowding levels in London also fell during the peaks, but increased overall in other major cities.
On a typical autumn weekday in 2017:
In autumn 2017:
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
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TwitterA story map on how and why the boundaries were made, and a guide to their use for statistics
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Twitterhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licenceshttps://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licences
This file contains the digital vector boundaries for the Major Towns and Cities in England and Wales, as at December 2015. Version 2 includes centroid data in the attributes table.The boundaries available are: (BGG) Generalised Grid (50m) - clipped to the coastline (Mean High Water mark).Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.
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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 âtypical weekdayâ. 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
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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 UKâs 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. Londonâs 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.