As of 2023, the population density in London was by far the highest number of people per square km in the UK, at 5,690. Of the other regions and countries which constitute the United Kingdom, North West England was the next most densely populated area at 533 people per square kilometer. Scotland, by contrast, is the most sparsely populated country or region in the United Kingdom, with only 70 people per square kilometer. UK population over 67 million According to the official mid-year population estimate, the population of the United Kingdom was just almost 67.6 million in 2022. Most of the population lived in England, where an estimated 57.1 million people resided, followed by Scotland at 5.44 million, Wales at 3.13 million and finally Northern Ireland at just over 1.9 million. Within England, the South East was the region with the highest population at almost 9.38 million, followed by the London region at around 8.8 million. In terms of urban areas, Greater London is the largest city in the United Kingdom, followed by Greater Manchester and Birmingham in the North West and West Midlands regions of England. London calling London's huge size in relation to other UK cities is also reflected by its economic performance. In 2021, London's GDP was approximately 494 billion British pounds, almost a quarter of UK GDP overall. In terms of GDP per capita, Londoners had a GDP per head of 56,431 pounds, compared with an average of 33,224 for the country as a whole. Productivity, expressed as by output per hour worked, was also far higher in London than the rest of the country. In 2021, London was around 33.2 percent more productive than the rest of the country, with South East England the only other region where productivity was higher than the national average.

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).

The dataset within this group contains the National Records of Scotland (NRS) mid-year population density estimates for the Perth and Kinross Council area for the years 2000 to 2020.

open data - national records of scotland land population density mid-2022

This graph displays the ratio between the annual average population and the land area of different regions within the United Kingdom (UK) as of 2015. The data shows that in Eastern Inner London there were on average 11,040 people per square kilometer, whereas in the Highlands and islands of Scotland there was an average of 11.6 people per square kilometer. Information regarding the population density of London and other UK cities can be found here.

In 2023, there were approximately 631,970 people living in Glasgow, with a further 523,250 people living in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, the first and second most-populated Scottish council areas respectively. The region of Fife is also heavily populated, with approximately 373,210 people living there. The least populated areas are the islands of Scotland such as Orkney, estimated to have only 22,000 people there.

This data is sourced from the Census 2011 and shows the population and population density by council area. Raw data sourced from http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/en/censusresults/downloadablefiles.html and then manipulated in excel to merge a number of tables. The resulting data was joined to a shapefile of Scottish Council areas from sharegeo (http://www.sharegeo.ac.uk/handle/10672/305). Both sources should be attributed as the sources of the base data. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2012-12-19 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-21.

In 2023, the population of the United Kingdom was around 68.3 million, with approximately 34.5 million women and 33.1 million men. Since 1953, the male population of the UK has grown by around 9.1 million, while the female population has increased by approximately 8.5 million. Throughout this provided time period, the female population of the UK has consistently outnumbered the male population. UK population one of the largest in Europe As of 2022, the population of the United Kingdom was the largest it has ever been, and with growth expected to continue, the forecasted population of the United Kingdom is expected to reach over 70 million by the 2030s. Despite the relatively small size of its territory, the UK has one of the largest populations among European countries, slightly larger than France but smaller than Russia and Germany. As of 2022, the population density of the UK was approximately 279 people per square kilometer, with London by far the most densely populated area, and Scotland the most sparsely populated. Dominance of London As seen in the data regarding population density, the population of the United Kingdom is not evenly distributed across the country. Within England, London has a population of almost nine million, making it significantly bigger than the next largest cities of Birmingham and Manchester. As of 2022, Scotland's largest city, Glasgow had a population of around 1.7 million, with the largest cities in Northern Ireland, and Wales being Belfast and Cardiff, which had populations of 643,000 and 488,000 respectively.

This dataset portrays the boundaries of 'Settlements' in Scotland as at 2001 Census. There is widespread interest in statistics for the built-up areas in Scotland as most of the population lives in a built-up environment. When the former two-tier local government structure of regions and districts came into being in May 1975, the small local authorities known as large and small burghs were lost. However, Census users stated that there was a need to know the population (and characteristics) of built-up areas. There are 2 datasets which are designed to show the boundaries of 'urban areas' in Scotland: 'Localities' and 'Settlements'. While 'Settlements' can go a long way in defining the towns and cities in Scotland, some are very extensive and have grouped together some very large populations. For example the settlement of 'Greater Glasgow' has a large population but no breakdown was given of the settlement into any constituent towns or cities such as Airdrie or Paisley. Accordingly, since 2001, the larger 'Settlements' have been divided into 'Localities' using as a basis the areas so designated in the 1991 Census report 'Key statistics for 'localities' in Scotland (ISBN 0-11-495736-3)'. For the 2001 Census, NRS had developed a new process to identify 'Settlements' which were defined as: 'A collection of contiguous high population density postcodes whose total population was 500 or more, bounded by low density postcodes (or water).'

This dataset portrays the boundaries of 'Localities' in Scotland as at the 2001 Census.. There is widespread interest in statistics for the built-up areas in Scotland as most of the population lives in a built-up environment. When the former two-tier local government structure of regions and districts came into being in May 1975, the small local authorities known as large and small burghs were lost. However, Census users stated that there was a need to know the population (and characteristics) of built-up areas. For the 2001 Census the method used to identify Localities was very similar to that used in 1991 in that it was based on identifying groups of high density postcodes.

This dataset is published as Open Data.2022 Census Settlement:The 2022 Census Settlement boundaries have been created using the Census 2022 frozen Postcode boundaries.National Records of Scotland (NRS) create Settlement boundaries by categorising Postcodes as either high or low density. A Postcode was defined as high density if at least one of the following applied:It had more than 2.1 households per hectare.It had more than 0.1 non-residential addresses per hectare; orThe Census population per hectare exceeds five people.The threshold densities were set as they were found to give a good approximation to the built-up areas identified in previous Censuses using traditional methods. The second condition was included such that non-residential parts (e.g. industrial estates) of built-up areas could be identified and included.An additional rule was implemented from the 2016 (non-Census) version, which stated that any Postcodes which fell within the previous version Settlement boundary(based on centroid point in polygon assignment) would automatically be included in the new Settlement.The classified Postcodes were then grouped into areas of neighbouring high-density Postcodes, or ‘Settlements’. Areas of low-density Postcodes completely surrounded by the high-density areas (i.e. ‘holes’) were incorporated into the Settlement.Populations for each area were then calculated, and any settlement with fewer than 500 residents was discarded.2022 Census Settlement and Locality CentroidsEach population weighted centroid was calculated using a median centroid algorithm, the result of which is less influenced by outliers than the result of an algorithm to calculate the mean centroid. The process for creating Census 2022 Settlements centroids was automated usingESRI ArcGIS, but the general method is as follows. The median easting and northing coordinate pair for all Census 2022 frozenPostcodes within the Settlement is calculated, giving a notional centroid of the Settlement. The distance from each of the Postcode centroids to the notional (or median) centroid is calculated using Pythagoras' Theorem. The Postcode coordinate pair with the shortest distance to the median was then chosen to represent the centroid of the Settlement/Locality.

The statistic depicts the median age of the population in the United Kingdom from 1950 to 2100*. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of United Kingdom's population was 39.2 years. Population of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom (UK) includes Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, and is a state located off the coast of continental Europe. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, which means the Queen acts as representative head of state, while laws and constitutional issues are discussed and passed by a parliament. The total UK population figures have been steadily increasing, albeit only slightly, over the last decade; in 2011, the population growth rate was lower than in the previous year for the first time in eight years. Like many other countries, the UK and its economy were severely affected by the economic crisis in 2009. Since then, the unemployment rate has doubled and is only recovering slowly. UK inhabitants tend to move to the cities to find work and better living conditions; urbanization in the United Kingdom has been on the rise. At the same time, population density in the United Kingdom has been increasing due to several factors, for example, the rising number of inhabitants and their life expectancy at birth, an increasing fertility rate, and a very low number of emigrants. In fact, the United Kingdom is now among the 20 countries with the highest life expectancy at birth worldwide. As can be seen above, the median age of UK residents has also been increasing significantly since the seventies; another indicator for a well-working economy and society.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Great Britain Historical Database has been assembled as part of the ongoing Great Britain Historical GIS Project. The project aims to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain at sub-county scales. Further information about the project is available on A Vision of Britain webpages, where users can browse the database's documentation system online.

These data were originally collected by the Censuses of Population for England and Wales, and for Scotland. They were computerised by the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and its collaborators.

Like England and Wales, the Scottish census gathered data on numbers of rooms (specifically, rooms with windows) from 1891 onwards, but the reports for 1891 and 1901 tabulate only the total number of rooms for each reporting area, so it is impossible to calculate numbers living in overcrowded conditions. This study comprises extensive although not always complete transcriptions of the housing density (persons per room) tables from the Scottish censuses of 1911, 1931, 1951, 1961 and 1971, cross-tabulating numbers of persons versus numbers of rooms. The 1921 reports do include similar data for Scottish counties, but these have not been computerised.

Main Topics:

Housing Statistics (persons per room) from the 1911, 1931, 1951, 1961 and 1971 Censuses of Population.

Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

This dataset contains gridded human population with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km for the UK based on Census 2011 and Land Cover Map 2015 input data. Data on population distribution for the United Kingdom is available from statistical offices in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and provided to the public e.g. via the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Population data is typically provided in tabular form or, based on a range of different geographical units, in file types for geographical information systems (GIS), for instance as ESRI Shapefiles. The geographical units reflect administrative boundaries at different levels of detail, from Devolved Administration to Output Areas (OA), wards or intermediate geographies. While the presentation of data on the level of these geographical units is useful for statistical purposes, accounting for spatial variability for instance of environmental determinants of public health requires a more spatially homogeneous population distribution. For this purpose, the dataset presented here combines 2011 UK Census population data on Output Area level with Land Cover Map 2015 land-use classes 'urban' and 'suburban' to create a consistent and comprehensive gridded population data product at 1 km x 1 km spatial resolution. The mapping product is based on British National Grid (OSGB36 datum).

Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 11 No 19 In order to understand how marine planning impacts seabirds at sea, it is important to collect key pieces of information about their behaviour, such as where they are and how high they fly. Collecting information on flight heights and population density is often done by plane and with special equipment, which is time consuming and expensive. It is therefore important to plan surveys in the most effective way so that they balance cost, accuracy and precision. This study was done by DMP Statistics. It estimates the power of different simulated survey designs to detect accurate flight heights and/or changes in population density of seven seabird species and harbour porpoise. This will allow surveyors to make informed decisions about the minimum effort required to collect accurate information for specific species and regions at different times of year. For abundant species, even surveys with the smallest coverage had high power to detect changes in population density of 20-30% across some seasons and regions. However power to detect changes for less abundant species and during some seasons remained low. Spatio-temporal variation in flight height distributions could be estimated in many cases. This project was funded by Marine Scotland.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The aggregate data produced as outputs from censuses in Great Britain provide information on a wide range of demographic and socio-economic characteristics. They are predominantly a collection of aggregated or summary counts of the numbers of people or households resident in specific geographical areas possessing particular characteristics.

Data can be accessed through our CKAN (Bulk data) platform.

Citation: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys; Registrar General for Scotland (2000): 1981 Census aggregate data (Edition: 2000). UK Data Service. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5257/census/aggregate-1981-1



Main Topics:

The 100% Sample files contain information about: total population, sex, population in private households and communal establishments, age, country of birth, one year migration, economic activity, marital status, employment status, numbers of children, household car availability, housing occupation density, household tenure, household amenities, household types, nature of housing, linguistic ability (Welsh/Gaelic in Wales and Scotland respectively) and related topics.

The 10% Sample files contain information about: socio-economic composition, industry of occupation, means of transport to work, higher level qualifications, family type, social class and related topics.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Great Britain Historical Database has been assembled as part of the ongoing Great Britain Historical GIS Project. The project aims to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain at sub-county scales. Further information about the project is available on A Vision of Britain webpages, where users can browse the database's documentation system online. These data were originally collected by the Censuses of Population for England and Wales, and for Scotland. They were computerised by the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and its collaborators. They form part of the Great Britain Historical Database, which contains a wide range of geographically-located statistics, selected to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain, generally at sub-county scales. The Census of Population first gathered data on housing "density", i.e. the number of persons in each household relative to the number of rooms, in 1891, although the first year included here is 1901. In 1891, over-crowding was defined as over 2 persons per room; by 1931 this threshold had dropped to 1.5 persons; and by 1961 to 1 person per room. Up to 1931, the data for each locality and date form a table of numbers of persons against numbers of rooms, and these transcriptions sometimes exclude the rows/columns for the very largest households (see the documentation for individual tables). From 1951 onwards, simpler tables simply list numbers of households in each density category (e.g. over 1 person per room and not more than 1.5 persons). This is a new edition. Data have been added for 1911 and 1951. Wherever possible, ID numbers have been added for counties and districts which match those used in the digital boundary data created by the GBH GIS, greatly simplifying mapping.

This file contains the Standard Area Measurements (SAM) for 2011 travel to work areas (TTWA) in the United Kingdom as at 31 December 2011. All measurements provided are ‘flat’ as they do not take into account variations in relief e.g. mountains and valleys. Measurements are given in hectares (10,000 square metres). Four types of measurements are included: total extent, area to mean high water (coastline), area of inland water and area to mean high water excluding area of inland water (land area). The Eurostat-recommended approach is to use the ‘land area’ measurement to compile population density figures. The TTWAs used to create the Standard Area Measurements were built using Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) created by ONS, Datazones (DZs) supplied by the National Records for Scotland and Super Output Areas (SOAs) supplied by Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). The DZ and SOA supplied for Scotland and Northern Ireland were clipped to the coastline. This means the extent of the realm and area to mean high water measurements are identical for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Scottish DZ had some areas of inland water removed although not all, such as Loch Lomond and Loch Ness amongst others. Consequently the area to mean high water measurements are lower than they would otherwise be and the inland water measurements aren't as high as they would otherwise be.Click the Download button to download the file.

The Great Britain Historical Database has been assembled as part of the ongoing Great Britain Historical GIS Project. The project aims to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain at sub-county scales. Further information about the project is available on A Vision of Britain webpages, where users can browse the database's documentation system online.

These data were originally collected by the Censuses of Population for England and Wales, and for Scotland. They were computerised by the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and its collaborators. They form part of the Great Britain Historical Database, which contains a wide range of geographically-located statistics, selected to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain, generally at sub-county scales.

The Census of Population first gathered data on housing "density", i.e. the number of persons in each household relative to the number of rooms, in 1891, although the first year included here is 1901. In 1891, over-crowding was defined as over 2 persons per room; by 1931 this threshold had dropped to 1.5 persons; and by 1961 to 1 person per room. Up to 1931, the data for each locality and date form a table of numbers of persons against numbers of rooms, and these transcriptions sometimes exclude the rows/columns for the very largest households (see the documentation for individual tables). From 1951 onwards, simpler tables simply list numbers of households in each density category (e.g. over 1 person per room and not more than 1.5 persons).

This is a new edition. Data have been added for 1911 and 1951. Wherever possible, ID numbers have been added for counties and districts which match those used in the digital boundary data created by the GBH GIS, greatly simplifying mapping.

This zip file contains the Standard Area Measurements (SAM) for the electoral areas in the United Kingdom as 31 December 2022. This includes Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Senedd constituencies and electoral regions in Wales, and Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions in Scotland. All measurements provided are ‘flat’ as they do not consider variations in relief, e.g. mountains and valleys. Measurements are given in hectares (10,000 square metres) to 2 decimal places. Four types of measurements are included: total extent (AREAEHECT), area to mean high water (coastline) (AREACHECT), area of inland water (AREAIHECT) and area to mean high water excluding area of inland water (land area) (AREALHECT). The Eurostat-recommended approach is to use the ‘land area’ measurement to compile population density figures.