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.
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.
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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).
The share of under 16s in the overall population of the United Kingdom was **** percent in 2023, compared with **** percent in 1971. Throughout this period, the share of under 16s in the overall UK population has declined significantly, with a brief uptick visible in the *****. Aging population in the UK In 2001, the median age of the UK population was **** years, with this increasing to **** by 2022. Among UK regions, South West England had the highest median age in 2022, at **** years, compared with just **** years in London, the regions with the lowest median age. In the future, it is expected that the median age of the UK population will continue to increase. By 2050, it will reach **** years, ** by 2075, and by the end of the century the median age will reach **** years. Challenges of an aging population As the average age of the population gets older, the UK will face numerous challenges in adapting to this demographic change. With fewer people in the labor market, the government will raise less revenue, and struggle with increased expenditure on pensions. The UK is by no means alone in facing this challenge, with several countries, particular in Southern Europe and East Asia, facing similar demographic challenges. In 2050, for example, it is expected that **** percent of the population of South Korea will be aged 65 or over.
Office for National Statistics’ national and subnational mid-year population estimates for England and Wales for a selection of administrative and census areas by additional useful age for 2012 to 2020. Age categories include: 0-15, 5-11, 11-15, 16-17, 16-29, 16-64, 18-24, 30-44, 45-64, 65+ & 70+. The data is source is from ONS Population Estimates. Find out more about this dataset here.
This data is issued at (BGC) Generalised (20m) boundary type for:
Country, Region, Upper Tier Local Authority (2021), Lower Tier Local Authority (2021), Middle Super Output Area (2011), and Lower Super Output Area (2011).
If you require the data at full resolution boundaries, or if you are interested in the range of statistical data that Esri UK make available in ArcGIS Online please enquire at dataenquiries@esriuk.com.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces annual estimates of the resident population of England and Wales at 30 June every year. The most authoritative population estimates come from the census, which takes place every 10 years in the UK. Population estimates from a census are updated each year to produce mid-year population estimates (MYEs), which are broken down by local authority, sex and age. More detailed information on the methods used to generate the mid-year population estimates can be found here.
For further information on the usefulness of the data and guidance on small area geographies please see here.The currency of this data is 2021.
Methodology
The total and 5-year breakdown population counts are reproduced directly from the source data. The age range estimates have been calculated from the published estimates by single year of age. The percentages are calculated using the gender specific (total, female or male) total population count as a denominator except in the case of the male and female total population where the total population is used to give female and male proportions.
This dataset will be updated annually, in two releases.
Creator: Office for National Statistics. Aggregated age groupings and percentages calculated by Esri UK._The data services available from this page are derived from the National Data Service. The NDS delivers thousands of open national statistical indicators for the UK as data-as-a-service. Data are sourced from major providers such as the Office for National Statistics, Public Health England and Police UK and made available for your area at standard geographies such as counties, districts and wards and census output areas. This premium service can be consumed as online web services or on-premise for use throughout the ArcGIS system.Read more about the NDS.
As of 2023, the population of young children aged between 0 and 4 years old in the United Kingdom was estimated to be just under 3.57 million, with 667,182 under 12 months old, 712,250 at age one, 709,269 aged two, 734,023 aged three, and 749,283 aged four.
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Interactive analysis of estimated population change for England and Wales, by geography, age and sex. Annual estimates are from mid-2011 onwards.
In 2023, there were estimated to be around 4.01 million people aged between 30 and 34 living in England, the most of any age group. Those aged 35 to 39 comprised the next highest age group, at 3.95 million, while the age group with the fewest people was among those aged 90 and over.
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According to the 2021 Census, 62.9% (37.5 million) of the overall population of England and Wales was of ‘working age’ (between 16 and 64 years old).
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Based on the mid-year population estimates, this is the number of people aged under 16.Population estimates relate to the number of people who were usually resident in an area at the mid-year point. Further details can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/population-and-migration/an-overview-of-ons-s-population-statistics/index.html
Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.
About the dataset This dataset uses information from the DWP benefit system to provide estimates of children living in poverty for wards in London. In order to be counted in this dataset, a family must have claimed Child Benefit and at least one other household benefit (Universal Credit, tax credits or Housing Benefit) during the year. The numbers are calibrated to the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset used to provide the government's headline poverty statistics. The definition of relative low income is living in a household with equivalised* income before housing costs (BHC) below 60% of contemporary national median income. The income measure includes contributions from earnings, state support and pensions. Further detail on the estimates of dependent children living in relative low income, including alternative geographical breakdowns and additional variables, such as age of children, family type and work status are available from DWP's statistical tabulation tool Stat-Xplore. Minor adjustments to the data have been applied to guard against the identification of individual claimants. This dataset replaced the DWP children in out-of-work benefit households and HMRC children in low income families local measure releases. This dataset includes estimates for all wards in London of numbers of dependent children living in relative low income families for each financial year from 2014/15 to the latest available (2022/23). The figures for the latest year are provisional and are subject to minor revision when the next dataset is released by DWP. Headlines Number of children The number of dependent children living in relative low income across London, rose from below 310,000 in the financial year ending 2015 to over 420,000 in the financial year ending 2020, but has decreased since then to below 350,000, which is well below the number for financial year ending 2018. While many wards in London have followed a similar pattern, the numbers of children in low income families in some wards have fallen more sharply, while the numbers in other wards have continued to grow. Proportion of children in each London ward Ward population sizes vary across London, the age profile of that population also varies and both the size and make-up of the population can change over time, so in order to make more meaningful comparisons between wards or over time, DWP have also published rates, though see note below regarding caution when using these figures. A dependent child is anyone aged under 16; or aged 16 to 19 in full-time non-advanced education or in unwaged government training. Ward level estimates for the total number of dependent children are not available, so percentages cannot be derived. Ward level estimates for the percentage of children under 16 living in low income families are usually published by DWP but, in its latest release, ward-level population estimates were not available at the time, so no rates were published. To derive the rates in this dataset, the GLA has used the ONS's latest ward-level population estimates (official statistics in development). Percentages for 2021/22 are calculated using the 2021 mid year estimates, while percentages for 2022/23 are calculated using the 2022 mid year estimates. As these are official statistics in development, rates therefore need to be treated with some caution. Notes *equivalised income is adjusted for household size and composition in order to compare living standards between households of different types.
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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.
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Mid-year (30 June) estimates of the usual resident population for Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales by single year of age and sex.
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United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged <16 data was reported at 13,223.160 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,390.097 Person th for 2016. United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged <16 data is updated yearly, averaging 12,004.000 Person th from Jun 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,299.000 Person th in 1972 and a record low of 11,505.000 Person th in 1988. United Kingdom Population: UK: Aged <16 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.
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Census 2021 data: 19 tick-box ethnic groups, by age, sex, and age and sex.
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United Kingdom Population: England: Aged <16 data was reported at 11,243.695 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,529.100 Person th for 2016. United Kingdom Population: England: Aged <16 data is updated yearly, averaging 9,985.000 Person th from Jun 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,697.000 Person th in 1972 and a record low of 9,481.000 Person th in 1988. United Kingdom Population: England: Aged <16 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.G002: Population: England and Wales.
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United Kingdom Population: England: Male: Aged 16 to 64 data was reported at 17,460.701 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 17,416.063 Person th for 2016. United Kingdom Population: England: Male: Aged 16 to 64 data is updated yearly, averaging 15,302.000 Person th from Jun 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17,460.701 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 14,209.000 Person th in 1971. United Kingdom Population: England: Male: Aged 16 to 64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.G002: Population: England and Wales.
This statistic depicts the age distribution of the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, about 17.19 percent of the population in the United Kingdom fell into the 0-14 year category, 63.32 percent into the 15-64 age group and 19.5 percent were over 65 years of age. The same year, the total UK population amounted to about 67.26 million people.
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This is the proportion of children aged under 16 (0-15) living in families in absolute low income during the year. The figures are based on the count of children aged under 16 (0-15) living in the area derived from ONS mid-year population estimates. The count of children refers to the age of the child at 30 June of each year.
Low income is a family whose equivalised income is below 60 per cent of median household incomes. Gross income measure is Before Housing Costs (BHC) and includes contributions from earnings, state support, and pensions. Equivalisation adjusts incomes for household size and composition, taking an adult couple with no children as the reference point. For example, the process of equivalisation would adjust the income of a single person upwards, so their income can be compared directly to the standard of living for a couple.
Absolute low income is income Before Housing Costs (BHC) in the reference year in comparison with incomes in 2010/11 adjusted for inflation. A family must have claimed one or more of Universal Credit, Tax Credits, or Housing Benefit at any point in the year to be classed as low income in these statistics. Children are dependent individuals aged under 16; or aged 16 to 19 in full-time non-advanced education. The count of children refers to the age of the child at 31 March of each year.
Data are calibrated to the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) survey regional estimates of children in low income but provide more granular local area information not available from the HBAI. For further information and methodology on the construction of these statistics, visit this link. Totals may not sum due to rounding.Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 4th of each month.
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United Kingdom Population: England & Wales: Female: Aged 16 to 59 data was reported at 18,454.731 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,403.916 Person th for 2016. United Kingdom Population: England & Wales: Female: Aged 16 to 59 data is updated yearly, averaging 14,984.000 Person th from Jun 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,454.731 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 13,660.000 Person th in 1974. United Kingdom Population: England & Wales: Female: Aged 16 to 59 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.G002: Population: England and Wales.
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.