Population statistics

You asked

I would like a table of data which I cannot find on your website. In any case, data tables in PDFs are difficult for me to import.

Please could you provide me with a list of UK towns/cities and their respective total populations. The figures can be from the most recent census or whichever source is most up to date.

I would like this ideally in CSV or Excel format, for example:

State, County, Town, Population

ENGLAND, Staffordshire, Lichfield, 1000000
ENGLAND, Staffordshire, Burton Upon Trent, 300000
ENGLAND, Derbyshire, Derby, 1500000

We said

You have requested information from the 2011 Census for the UK under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Office for National Statistics is responsible for the census in England and Wales only. For census statistics for Scotland please contact National Records for Scotland at customer@gro-scotland.gsi.gov.uk. For census statistics for Northern Ireland please contact the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency at Census.nisra@dfpni.gov.uk

Census data for England and Wales are provided for areas which have statutory boundaries such as counties, districts, wards and parishes. In Census terms, towns and cities do not have statutory boundaries so ONS constructs tables for built-up areas (previously known as 'urban areas') to cover the built-up places people recognise as ‘towns' and 'cities'. The name has changed to 'Built-up areas' to help avoid previous inconsistency in terminology with the rural-urban definition, and provide a name that more accurately describes the geography.

Census statistics for built up areas are published on the nomis website and they can be downloaded as Excel spreadsheets or in csv format.

Instructions for accessing data on nomis are attached.

Key Statistics Table KS101 contains basic population counts for multiple geographies including built up areas in England and Wales. However, built-up areas do not nest within counties and you would have to run separate queries using the wizard query to obtain statistics for counties or at local authority level.

I have extracted a spreadsheet listing built-up areas and this is attached as an Excel spreadsheet.

Statistics from the 2011 Census in England and Wales are freely available on the ONS or nomis websites. If you do need any help if finding census statistics please do get in touch with census customer services at census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk. They will be pleased to help you. It is not necessary to make a Freedom of Information request.