How the estimated population changed across every current council area in England and Wales between 2021 and 2025, with age-group changes shown alongside the headline ranking.
2021–2025Comparison period
318 councils296 England and 22 Wales
Five age viewsTotal, school age, working age, 65+ and 80+
Read percentage and absolute change together. A large percentage can arise from a small starting population, particularly in the City of London. These are population estimates and may be revised.
Fastest population growth
Fastest population growth, 2021 to 2025
Rank
Council area
Nation
2021
2025
Total change
Change
School age
Working age
65+
80+
1
City of London
England
8,689
15,631
+6,942
+79.89%
-1.37%
+98.44%
+16.21%
+13.15%
2
Preston
England
147,786
164,498
+16,712
+11.31%
+10.60%
+12.18%
+8.41%
+4.59%
3
South Derbyshire
England
108,051
119,441
+11,390
+10.54%
+10.65%
+10.31%
+12.62%
+25.32%
4
Salford
England
270,866
297,004
+26,138
+9.65%
+7.86%
+12.11%
+3.91%
+2.08%
5
Stratford-on-Avon
England
135,946
148,772
+12,826
+9.43%
+10.38%
+8.56%
+11.97%
+22.32%
6
Rugby
England
114,835
125,594
+10,759
+9.37%
+14.08%
+9.93%
+6.69%
+17.28%
7
Mid Suffolk
England
103,398
113,047
+9,649
+9.33%
+7.27%
+8.66%
+11.61%
+17.92%
8
Vale of White Horse
England
139,400
152,217
+12,817
+9.19%
+11.52%
+8.36%
+11.14%
+17.17%
9
Barking and Dagenham
England
218,714
238,295
+19,581
+8.95%
+2.36%
+12.09%
+7.23%
-5.00%
10
Central Bedfordshire
England
295,651
321,605
+25,954
+8.78%
+11.63%
+7.78%
+11.40%
+20.53%
11
Tewkesbury
England
95,400
103,753
+8,353
+8.76%
+15.37%
+8.56%
+7.45%
+12.50%
12
Harborough
England
98,254
106,577
+8,323
+8.47%
+7.39%
+7.16%
+12.99%
+23.35%
13
Maidstone
England
176,697
191,415
+14,718
+8.33%
+13.65%
+8.23%
+7.31%
+13.80%
14
Ribble Valley
England
61,865
66,938
+5,073
+8.20%
+7.29%
+7.03%
+13.44%
+20.79%
15
Dartford
England
116,819
126,297
+9,478
+8.11%
+14.45%
+8.25%
+5.73%
+5.38%
16
North West Leicestershire
England
105,004
113,263
+8,259
+7.87%
+7.48%
+8.12%
+8.77%
+17.83%
17
Hartlepool
England
92,575
99,656
+7,081
+7.65%
+7.63%
+7.52%
+10.24%
+4.51%
18
Newcastle upon Tyne
England
298,545
320,838
+22,293
+7.47%
+4.87%
+8.47%
+8.03%
+4.03%
19
East Cambridgeshire
England
88,125
94,599
+6,474
+7.35%
+5.52%
+7.34%
+10.70%
+14.64%
20
Telford and Wrekin
England
185,857
199,378
+13,521
+7.27%
+8.00%
+7.28%
+8.95%
+17.36%
Lowest population growth
Lowest population growth, 2021 to 2025
Rank
Council area
Nation
2021
2025
Total change
Change
School age
Working age
65+
80+
1
Lambeth
England
317,691
314,298
-3,393
-1.07%
-12.00%
-0.71%
+13.79%
+3.20%
2
Merthyr Tydfil
Wales
58,869
58,362
-507
-0.86%
+1.89%
-2.05%
+5.09%
+9.41%
3
Isle of Anglesey
Wales
68,937
68,607
-330
-0.48%
-0.71%
-1.98%
+5.78%
+13.82%
4
Conwy
Wales
114,788
114,421
-367
-0.32%
-2.31%
-2.15%
+5.62%
+5.59%
5
New Forest
England
176,217
175,930
-287
-0.16%
-0.98%
-2.34%
+6.17%
+11.68%
6
Enfield
England
329,876
329,400
-476
-0.14%
-4.42%
-0.08%
+9.74%
+7.39%
7
Ipswich
England
139,638
139,457
-181
-0.13%
+2.25%
-1.28%
+4.58%
+4.01%
8
Hastings
England
90,974
90,855
-119
-0.13%
-1.94%
-0.27%
+5.12%
+11.09%
9
Isle of Wight
England
140,885
140,777
-108
-0.08%
-2.34%
-1.85%
+5.57%
+16.47%
10
Torbay
England
139,440
139,486
+46
+0.03%
-1.25%
-0.46%
+4.26%
+11.47%
11
Caerphilly
Wales
175,999
176,078
+79
+0.04%
-0.91%
0.00%
+4.54%
+11.05%
12
Neath Port Talbot
Wales
141,934
142,028
+94
+0.07%
-1.41%
-0.54%
+5.29%
+7.25%
13
Adur
England
64,632
64,802
+170
+0.26%
+3.54%
-0.33%
+3.75%
+9.17%
14
Lewisham
England
300,013
301,037
+1,024
+0.34%
-6.46%
+0.99%
+12.73%
+5.11%
15
Fareham
England
114,952
115,373
+421
+0.37%
-0.05%
-1.83%
+7.88%
+15.36%
16
Erewash
England
113,039
113,474
+435
+0.38%
+0.45%
+0.19%
+3.84%
+10.17%
17
North Norfolk
England
103,239
103,708
+469
+0.45%
+0.49%
-1.89%
+6.29%
+10.45%
18
Derbyshire Dales
England
71,659
72,028
+369
+0.51%
-1.93%
-1.46%
+7.16%
+13.44%
19
Cotswold
England
91,076
91,563
+487
+0.53%
+0.51%
-2.41%
+8.81%
+18.01%
20
Gosport
England
82,169
82,618
+449
+0.55%
-0.70%
-0.69%
+8.52%
+10.89%
Methodology
Ranking measure
Percentage change between the 2021 and 2025 ONS mid-year total-population estimates. Ties use absolute change and then council name.
Geography
All 318 current April 2023 district and unitary council areas: 296 in England and 22 in Wales.
Age groups
School age is 5–17, working age is 16–64, with separate 65+ and 80+ comparisons derived from single-year estimates.
Interpretation
Population change reflects births, deaths and migration. It does not by itself measure economic performance or quality of life.
Source: Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates via Nomis. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.