Compare where children, young adults, working-age people and older residents make up the greatest shares—and how those populations changed from 2021 to 2025.
316 councils294 England and 22 Wales
2025 estimatesCurrent population-share basis
2021–2025Population-change period
Age group
Comparison
Population estimates are not exact counts. They may be revised as ONS incorporates improved evidence. Age groups intentionally overlap: school-age residents are within children, and young adults overlap the working-age group.
Highest values: Children aged 0–17
Highest values for Children aged 0–17
Rank
Council area
Nation
Current share
2025 cohort
2025 share
2021 cohort
People change
1
Barking and Dagenham
England
27.4%
65,362
27.4%
63,375
+1,987
2
Slough
England
26.9%
45,094
26.9%
43,737
+1,357
3
Blackburn with Darwen
England
25.4%
41,599
25.4%
39,751
+1,848
4
Luton
England
25.3%
59,857
25.3%
58,778
+1,079
5
Dartford
England
25.1%
31,704
25.1%
28,852
+2,852
6
Oldham
England
25.1%
63,211
25.1%
61,744
+1,467
7
Peterborough
England
25.0%
56,200
25.0%
53,745
+2,455
8
Bradford
England
24.9%
138,861
24.9%
140,486
-1,625
9
Thurrock
England
24.9%
45,243
24.9%
44,091
+1,152
10
Sandwell
England
24.6%
86,831
24.6%
84,907
+1,924
11
Rochdale
England
24.3%
57,786
24.3%
54,671
+3,115
12
Harlow
England
24.3%
23,961
24.3%
22,469
+1,492
13
Birmingham
England
24.0%
282,878
24.0%
286,496
-3,618
14
Walsall
England
24.0%
70,980
24.0%
68,285
+2,695
15
Bolton
England
24.0%
74,286
24.0%
71,411
+2,875
16
Wolverhampton
England
23.9%
67,168
23.9%
62,006
+5,162
17
Gravesham
England
23.7%
26,382
23.7%
24,918
+1,464
18
Milton Keynes
England
23.7%
73,234
23.7%
69,635
+3,599
19
Pendle
England
23.7%
23,694
23.7%
22,950
+744
20
St Albans
England
23.6%
35,497
23.6%
35,884
-387
Lowest values: Children aged 0–17
Lowest values for Children aged 0–17
Rank
Council area
Nation
Current share
2025 cohort
2025 share
2021 cohort
People change
1
Westminster
England
12.8%
27,204
12.8%
30,607
-3,403
2
Kensington and Chelsea
England
14.2%
20,679
14.2%
22,879
-2,200
3
North Norfolk
England
14.6%
15,133
14.6%
15,635
-502
4
Camden
England
15.1%
32,692
15.1%
36,574
-3,882
5
Islington
England
15.2%
34,104
15.2%
36,604
-2,500
6
Ceredigion
Wales
15.4%
11,160
15.4%
11,443
-283
7
Lambeth
England
15.5%
48,738
15.5%
54,325
-5,587
8
Cambridge
England
15.7%
23,491
15.7%
23,512
-21
9
East Lindsey
England
15.8%
23,188
15.8%
23,593
-405
10
Exeter
England
15.8%
21,811
15.8%
21,694
+117
11
Brighton and Hove
England
15.8%
44,972
15.8%
47,125
-2,153
12
Hammersmith and Fulham
England
15.9%
30,229
15.9%
31,820
-1,591
13
Derbyshire Dales
England
16.0%
11,530
16.0%
11,989
-459
14
York
England
16.1%
33,617
16.1%
34,692
-1,075
15
Isle of Wight
England
16.2%
22,759
16.2%
23,636
-877
16
Fylde
England
16.3%
14,105
16.3%
13,788
+317
17
West Devon
England
16.5%
9,736
16.5%
10,014
-278
18
Wandsworth
England
16.6%
56,416
16.6%
59,391
-2,975
19
Rother
England
16.6%
16,000
16.6%
15,463
+537
20
Westmorland and Furness
England
16.7%
38,670
16.7%
39,214
-544
Methodology and limitations
Current share
The selected age-group population as a percentage of the council's total 2025 population.
Population change
Percentage change in the selected age group between 2021 and 2025. “Lowest” is used because some groups grew everywhere.
Eligibility
Councils require at least 10,000 residents in both years. Change rankings also require at least 500 people in the starting cohort.
Source: Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates via Nomis. Current April 2023 district and unitary authority geography. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.