Census 2001 - Population of England and Wales grows 2.5 per cent

This release looks at:

 Usual resident population      Age structure      Marital status      Qualifications    
 Background Notes

The population of England and Wales has increased by 2.5 per cent from mid-1991 to Census day - 29 April 2001 - when it was 52,042,000 compared with 50,748,000 estimated at mid-year in 1991.

The population of England grew by 2.6 per cent to 49,139,000 while the population of Wales grew by 1.0 per cent to 2,903,000.

Some of the key findings are:

• The population of England and Wales grew by 1,294,000 between 1991 and 2001.
• Children (15 and under) formed 20.2 per cent of the population.
• People aged 65 and over formed 16 per cent of the population.
• Over 30 per cent of the adult population are single.
• More than half the adult population (50.9 per cent) is married or re-married.
• Over 10 per cent of adults are separated or divorced.
• Widows and widowers make up over 8 per cent of the population.
• Nearly 30 per cent of the adult population have no qualifications.
• Nearly 20 per cent of the adult population have a degree or higher qualification.

Usual resident population

Although the increase in population in England and Wales over the ten years from mid-1991 to April 2001 was 2.5 per cent this was not evenly spread across Wales and the regions of England.

The East of England, South West, London and the South East regions grew by around 5 per cent, and these four regions taken together added 1,221,000 people.

However, two regions showed a fall in population: the North East by 2.8 per cent and the North West by 1.7 per cent. The net loss of these two regions was 185,000 people.

The fastest growing county over the ten years in percentage terms was Lincolnshire, which increased in population by almost 10 per cent. Wiltshire and Cambridgeshire also grew by more than 8 per cent. There were falls in population in Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire and Durham.

At district and borough level, East Cambridgeshire, Tower Hamlets, North Kesteven, Milton Keynes and North Dorset all showed increases of more than 15 per cent since 1991.

Unsurprisingly, population density is greatest in London with 22 of the 25 most densely populated boroughs being in London. Kensington and Chelsea with 131 people per hectare (pph) is the most densely populated and outside London it is Portsmouth with 46.39 pph. Eden in Cumbria is the least densely populated with 0.2pph.

Age structure

For the first time, there are now more people aged 60 and over than there are children aged under 16. Children make up 20.2 per cent of the England and Wales population while those aged 60 and over make up 20.9 per cent. There is not a wide variety in the proportions of children across the regions and England and Wales. However, the London Borough of Newham has more than a quarter of its population aged under 16 (26.2 per cent).

Newham conversely has the lowest proportion of people aged 65 and over (9 per cent) while the South West region has nearly 19 per cent and Christchurch has nearly 30 per cent. People aged 65 and over account for more than 20 per cent of the population in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East and West Sussex and Norfolk.

Marital status

Just over half the adult population (aged 16 and over) is married or re-married, while over 30 per cent remain single (never-married). Separated or divorced people make up 10.6 per cent, while widowed people make up 8.4 per cent.

The region with the highest proportion of married people is the East Midlands (53.4 per cent) although East Dorset tops the district level with 63.4 per cent.

The proportion of single people aged 16 and over is higher in London than the other regions. Inner London has much the highest proportion (51 per cent), followed by Outer London (35 per cent). At the district or borough level, 11 of the top 12 districts were in the London area (Lambeth 55.8 per cent).

Outside London, the proportion of single people ranged from 27 per cent in the South West to 30 per cent in the North West.

The North West has the highest proportion of separated or divorced people in England and Wales with 11 per cent. Blackpool is the highest district with 15.2 per cent. Harrow in north west London was the lowest with 7.3 per cent.

Wales has the highest proportion of widows or widowers with 9.4 per cent although the Sussex district of Rother is the highest local area with 12.5 per cent.

Qualifications

Nearly 30 per cent of adults aged 16-74 in England and Wales have no qualifications. In the North East this reaches 34.7 per cent and in the West Midlands borough of Sandwell it is 45.5 per cent.

London, the South East and the South West have fewest with no qualifications (26 per cent or less). London has 31 per cent with degree level or higher. However, the North East has just 15 per cent and Corby in Northamptonshire is the lowest district with 8.5 per cent.

Background Notes

1. The 2001 Census was conducted on a resident basis, and the statistics relate to where people usually lived, rather than where they were on Census night. Students who were studying away from home during the term were enumerated at their term-time address.

2. Population size from the 2001 Census is compared with revised mid-year population estimates for 1991, which use the same definitions.

3. Qualifications: People aged between 16 and 74 were asked to indicate the educational and professional qualifications they have obtained, from which their highest level of qualification was derived.

Level 1: 1 to 4 O level passes, 1 to 4 CSE/GCSE any grades, NVQ level 1 or Foundation GNVQ.
Level 2: 5 or more O level passes, 5 or more CSEs (grade 1), 5 or more GCSEs (grades A-C), School Certificate, 1 A level, 1 to 3 AS levels, NVQ level 2, Intermediate GNVQ.
Level 3: 2 or more A levels, 4 or more AS levels, Higher School Certificate, NVQ level 3, Advanced GNVQ.
Level 4/5: First degree, higher degree, NVQ levels 4 and 5, HNC, HND, Qualified Teacher Status, Qualified Medical Doctor, Qualified Dentist, Qualified Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor.

4. Dependent children are those under 16, or are aged 16-18, studying full-time and living in a family with one or both parents.

5. Census day was 29 April 2001. Census data give a snapshot picture of the country at this time. Population counts by age and sex for England and Wales, Wales, regions of England and English and Welsh local authorities were published on 30 September 2002.

6. The Office for National Statistics is responsible for the census in England and Wales. The Census in Scotland and in Northern Ireland is carried out by the General Register Office for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency respectively. Census data for Scotland and Northern Ireland are released separately.

7. Detailed Census results published today are mainly for England and Wales and its regions and local authorities. Individual press releases are available for Wales and each of the nine English Government Office Regions: North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, South East, London and the East. Press releases covering six key Census topic areas are also issued today: Ethnicity and religion, Families, Health, Households, People and places, Work. Census data published today are available free on the National Statistics website: www.statistics.gov.uk/census/

8. Further releases of Census data will take place through Spring and Summer 2003. In March/April there will be cross-tabulated data, followed by data down to small area/ward level. In the summer will begin a series of multi-source topic reports which draw upon other sources in addition to census to provide detailed pictures of specific topics and areas.

9. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available from the press office.

10. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference. © Crown copyright 2003.