London 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 UK’s 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. London’s 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.

This 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.

Actual value and historical data chart for United Kingdom Population In Largest City

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 Database’s UK – 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;

When 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.

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 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.

This dataset lists cities which consists of above 15,000 inhabitants. Each city is associated with its country and sub-country to reduce the number of ambiguities. Subcountry can be the name of a state (eg in the United Kingdom or the United States of America) or the major administrative section (eg "region" in "France").

Towns in England and Wales: towns list, cities list, classification and population data.

In May 2021, towns and cities with the biggest average garden size were ranked in the United Kingdom. The town of Poole ranked highest on the list, with an average garden size of *** square meters.

List of major cities in the world

Data

The data is extracted from geonames, a very exhaustive list of worldwide toponyms.

This datapackage only list cities above 15,000 inhabitants. Each city is associated with its country and subcountry to reduce the number of ambiguities. Subcountry can be the name of a state (eg in United Kingdom or the United States of America) or the major administrative section (eg ''region'' in France''). See admin1 field on geonames website for further info about subcountry.

Notice that : * some cities like Vatican city or Singapore are a whole state so they don't belong to any subcountry. Therefore subcountry is N/A. * There is no guaranty that a city has a unique name in a country and subcountry (At the time of writing, there are about 60 ambiguities). But for each city, the source data primary key geonameid is provided.

Preparation

You can run the script yourself to update the data and publish them to github : see scripts README

License

All data is licensed under the Creative Common Attribution License as is the original data from geonames. This means you have to credit geonames when using the data. And while no credit is formally required a link back or credit to Lexman and the Open Knowledge Foundation is much appreciated.

All source code is licensed under the MIT licence.

Annual estimates of balanced UK regional gross domestic product (GDP). Current price estimates and chained volume measures for combined authorities and city regions.

Utility Data

The data is extracted from geonames, a very exhaustive list of worldwide toponyms. It can be joined with datasets containing geographic fields to facilitate geospatial analysis including mapping.

This datapackage only lists cities above 15,000 inhabitants. Each city is associated with its country and subcountry to reduce the number of ambiguities. Subcountry can be the name of a state (e.g., in United Kingdom or the United States of America) or the major administrative section (e.g., ''region'' in France''). See admin1 field on geonames website for further info about subcountry.

Notice that:

• Some cities like Vatican City or Singapore are a whole state so they don't belong to any subcountry. Therefore subcountry is N/A.

• There is no guaranty that a city has a unique name in a country and subcountry (At the time of writing, there are about 60 ambiguities). But for each city, the source data primary key geonameid is provided.

Preparation

You can run the script yourself to update the data and publish them to GitHub/Kaggle: see scripts README

Acknowledgments and License

All data is licensed under the Creative Common Attribution License as is the original data from geonames. This means you have to credit geonames when using the data. And while no credit is formally required a link back or credit to Lexman and the Open Knowledge Foundation is much appreciated. This dataset description is reproduced here from its original source with slight modifications.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom English The document provides a methodological note and user guidance for the ONS Major Towns and Cities. (File Size - 2 MB)

Among selected cities in the United Kingdom, Birmingham received the highest score in the Clean Cities ranking of space for walking and cycling in 2022 at a score of ** percent followed closely by Manchester with a score of ** percent. London and Edinburgh also made the list of selected European cities ranked by space for people and received a score of ** percent and ** percent, respectively. The Clean Cities' score of "space for people" measures the allocation of road space to pedestrians and cyclists as well as levels of congestion.

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.

This report was released in September 2010. However, recent demographic data is available on the datastore - you may find other datasets on the Datastore useful such as: GLA Population Projections, National Insurance Number Registrations of Overseas Nationals, Births by Birthplace of Mother, Births and Fertility Rates, Office for National Statistics (ONS) Population Estimates FOCUSONLONDON2010:POPULATIONANDMIGRATION London is the United Kingdom’s only city region. Its population of 7.75 million is 12.5 per cent of the UK population living on just 0.6 per cent of the land area. London’s average population density is over 4,900 persons per square kilometre, this is ten times that of the second most densely populated region. Between 2001 and 2009 London’s population grew by over 430 thousand, more than any other region, accounting for over 16 per cent of the UK increase. This report discusses in detail the population of London including Population Age Structure, Fertility and Mortality, Internal Migration, International Migration, Population Turnover and Churn, and Demographic Projections. Population and Migration report is the first release of the Focus on London 2010-12 series. Reports on themes such as Income, Poverty, Labour Market, Skills, Health, and Housing are also available. PRESENTATION: To access an interactive presentation about population changes in London click the link to see it on Prezi.com FACTS: Top five boroughs for babies born per 10,000 population in 2008-09: 1. Newham – 244.4 2. Barking and Dagenham – 209.3 3. Hackney – 205.7 4. Waltham Forest – 202.7 5. Greenwich – 196.2 ... 32. Havering – 116.8 33. City of London – 47.0 In 2009, Barnet overtook Croydon as the most populous London borough. Prior to this Croydon had been the largest since 1966 Population per hectare of land used for Domestic building and gardens is highest in Tower Hamlets In 2008-09, natural change (births minus deaths) led to 78,000 more Londoners compared with only 8,000 due to migration. read more about this or click play on the chart below to reveal how regional components of populations change have altered over time.

The UK commercial real estate market, valued at approximately £149.67 billion in 2025, is projected to experience steady growth, driven by factors such as increasing urbanization, robust economic activity in key sectors, and ongoing investment in infrastructure projects. The market's Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.31% from 2025 to 2033 indicates a positive outlook, although growth may fluctuate depending on macroeconomic conditions and interest rate changes. The office sector, while facing challenges from remote work trends, remains a significant segment, particularly in major cities like London. The retail sector is undergoing transformation, with a shift towards experience-led retail and e-commerce fulfillment centers driving demand. The industrial and logistics sector continues to thrive, fueled by the growth of e-commerce and supply chain optimization. The hospitality sector’s recovery post-pandemic is expected to contribute to market growth, although uncertainties remain. Investment is likely to focus on sustainable and technologically advanced properties, aligning with broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) considerations. Within the UK, regional variations are expected. London and other major cities will continue to attract significant investment, while regional markets will demonstrate varying levels of growth depending on local economic conditions and infrastructure developments. Competition among established players like Hammerson, Land Securities Group PLC, and British Land, alongside emerging players, will likely intensify. The sector is also subject to regulatory changes and external factors like inflation and geopolitical events, which will influence investment decisions and overall market performance. Technological advancements, such as proptech solutions and data analytics, will further reshape the industry's landscape, impacting operations, asset management, and tenant relationships. This evolving market presents both opportunities and challenges for investors, developers, and businesses operating within the UK commercial real estate sector. Recent developments include: October 2023: British Land received a resolution to grant planning permission for an approximately 140,000 sq. ft multi-level last-mile logistics scheme on Mandela Way, Southwark. This project represents the latest addition to British Land’s 2.9 million sq. ft pipeline. Situated near the junction of New Kent Road, Old Kent Road, and Tower Bridge Road, the site will serve as a last-mile logistics hub for Southwark and central London., July 2023: British Land and Landsec formulated a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at regenerating UK towns and cities. Their goal is to stimulate more growth, create additional homes, and generate more job opportunities by enhancing how the planning system supports brownfield regeneration. As major players behind some of Britain’s most significant regeneration projects, including Landsec’s 24-acre Mayfield neighborhood in central Manchester and British Land and AustralianSuper’s 53-acre Canada Water development in London, these property companies bring extensive experience in large-scale, complex urban developments. The insights gained from such projects have been applied and refined in their latest paper.. Key drivers for this market are: Growth in the Country's Logistics Sector and Warehouse Space, Increasing Demand for Co-working Office Spaces; Increasing Infrastructure Investments. Potential restraints include: Rising Costs affecting the market. Notable trends are: Office Segment Showing Significant Growth in the Market.

The degree of urbanization in the United Kingdom amounted to 84.88 percent in 2024. This shows almost a three percentage point increase over the past decade. The upward trend, though slow, has been consistently positive. What is urbanization? The rate of urbanization indicates the shift away from rural living as people come together in densely populated cities. The United Kingdom is much more urban than the worldwide average. This puts people in closer proximity to jobs, health care, stores, and social opportunities, leading to better economic, health, and social outcomes. For example, areas with higher urbanization have a higher average life expectancy at birth. The darker side of urbanization London is the United Kingdom’s largest city and arguably the financial capital of Europe. However, this economic success has led to increasingly high rental prices, which is an indication of the high cost of living in the city. The higher population density can also lead in an increase in crime. London has one of the highest homicide rates in England and Wales. In spite of these drawbacks, London continues to draw millions of overseas tourists every year.