How life has changed in Fenland: Census 2021

The population passed 100,000

Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Fenland increased by 7.6%, from around 95,300 in 2011 to around 102,500 in 2021.

The population here increased at a similar rate to the overall population of the East of England (8.3%), but by a greater percentage than the overall population of England (up 6.6% since the 2011 Census).

In 2021, Fenland was home to around 1.3 people per football pitch-sized piece of land, compared with 1.2 in 2011. This area was among the lowest 20% for population density across English local authority areas at the last census.

This article generally uses percentages to enable comparisons over time and between areas. The percentage point change is also used to show the difference between the 2011 and 2021 percentages.

Population growth was lower in Fenland than across the East of England

Percentage population change, Fenland and surrounding areas, 2011 Census to Census 2021

Median age in Fenland

Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Fenland increased by one year, from 43 to 44 years of age.

This area had a higher average (median) age than the East of England as a whole in 2021 (41 years) and a higher average (median) age than England (40 years).

The median age is the age of the person in the middle of the group, meaning that one half of the group is younger than that person and the other half is older.

The number of people aged 50 to 64 years rose by around 2,600 (an increase of 13.8%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by just over 1,500 (7.7% decrease).

The share of residents aged between 50 and 64 years increased by 1.1 percentage points between 2011 and 2021

Fenland residents' country of birth

In the latest census, around 87,800 Fenland residents said they were born in England. This represented 85.7% of the local population. The figure has risen from around 85,100 in 2011, which at the time represented 89.4% of Fenland's population.

Lithuania was the next most represented, with just over 3,500 Fenland residents reporting this country of birth (3.4%). This figure was up from around 1,700 in 2011, which at the time represented 1.7% of the population of Fenland.

The number of Fenland residents born in countries that joined the EU between April 2001 and March 2011 (other than Poland, Croatia, Lithuania and Romania) rose from around 1,100 in 2011 (1.1% of the local population) to around 2,300 in 2021 (2.2%).

In 2021, 85.7% of Fenland residents reported their country of birth as England

Marriage and civil partnership in Fenland

Fenland saw England's second-largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership) (from 50.3% in 2011 to 45.4% in 2021).

England's largest decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership) occurred in West Lancashire (from 50.2% to 45.2%).

Across the East of England, the percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership) fell from 50.1% to 47.2%, while the percentage in nearby King’s Lynn and West Norfolk fell from 53.1% to 48.8%.

These figures include same-sex marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2021, neither of which were legally recognised in England and Wales in 2011. Same-sex marriages have been legally recognised in England and Wales since 2014 and opposite-sex civil partnerships have been recognised since 2019.

The percentage of adults who were married or in a civil partnership in Fenland decreased by 4.9 percentage points

More people looking after their family or home

Fenland saw the East of England's joint third-largest percentage-point rise (alongside Watford) in the proportion of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home (from 3.8% in 2011 to 4.8% in 2021).

Across the region, only Luton (from 6.2% to 8.4%) and Great Yarmouth (from 4.3% to 5.5%) saw a greater increase in the percentage of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home.

Across the East of England, the percentage of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home increased from 4.1% to 4.6%, while the percentage in nearby King’s Lynn and West Norfolk increased from 3.8% to 4.4%.

Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of rapid and unparalleled change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the labour market and our ability to measure it.

The percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were looking after their family or home (economically inactive) in Fenland increased by 1.1 percentage points

Working hours in Fenland

In 2021, 9.0% of Fenland residents aged 16 years and over and in employment said they worked 15 hours or less per week. This figure was at a similar level in 2011 (9.1%).

This area had the region’s third lowest percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked 15 hours or less per week. Across the region, only Peterborough (8.7%) and Stevenage (8.9%) had a lower percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked 15 hours or less per week.

Working hours may have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The percentage of adults who worked 15 hours or less in Fenland decreased by 0.1 percentage points

National identity in Fenland

In 2021, 9.5% of Fenland residents did not identify with any national identity associated with the UK. This figure increased from 6.8% in 2011.

In 2021, 0.9% of residents identified with a UK and non-UK national identity, compared with 0.3% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Fenland that identified as "British only" increased from 11.4% to 48.7%.

The increase in the percentage of people who did not identify with any national identity associated with the UK was greater in Fenland (2.7 percentage points) than across the East of England (2.1 percentage points, from 6.9% to 9.0%). Across England, the percentage increased by 1.7 percentage points, from 8.2% to 10.0%.

In Census 2021, “British” was moved to the top response option and this may have influenced how people described their national identity. For further information, please see our quality report.

The percentage of people who did not identify with at least one UK national identity in Fenland increased by 2.7 percentage points

Rise in private renting

Of Fenland households, 20.0% rented privately in 2021, up from 15.6% in 2011.

In 2021, just over one in eight households (12.7%) lived in socially rented housing, compared with 12.4% in 2011. The percentage of Fenland households that owned their home (outright or with a mortgage or loan) decreased from 70.0% to 66.8%.

The increase in the percentage of privately-rented homes was greater in Fenland (4.3 percentage points) than across the East of England (3.5 percentage points, from 14.7% to 18.2%). Across England, the percentage increased by 3.6 percentage points, from 16.8% to 20.5%.

Private renting in Fenland increased by 4.3 percentage points

Unpaid care in Fenland

In 2021, 4.1% of Fenland residents (aged five years and over) reported providing up to 19 hours of unpaid care each week. This figure decreased from 6.8% in 2011. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

In 2021, just over 1 in 50 people (2.1%) reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.6% in 2011. The proportion of Fenland residents (aged five years and over) that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care remained at 3.2%.

The decrease in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care in Fenland (2.7 percentage points) was similar to the decrease across the East of England (2.8 percentage points, from 7.3% to 4.5%). Across England, the proportion fell by 2.8 percentage points, from 7.2% to 4.4%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and managed their provision of unpaid care, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

The percentage of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care in Fenland decreased by 2.7 percentage points

Religion in Fenland

In 2021, 39.9% of Fenland residents reported having "No religion", up from 25.0% in 2011. The rise of 14.9 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Fenland. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

Across the East of England, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having "No religion" increased from 27.9% to 40.2%, while across England the percentage increased from 24.8% to 36.7%.

In 2021, 52.1% of people in Fenland described themselves as Christian (down from 66.4%), while 6.2% did not state their religion (down from 7.2% the decade before).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which someone connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.

In 2021, 39.9% of usual residents in Fenland reported having "No religion"

Health in Fenland

In 2021, 41.5% of Fenland residents described their health as "very good", increasing from 39.8% in 2011. Those describing their health as "good" fell from 38.0% to 37.5%. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

The proportion of Fenland residents describing their health as "very bad" remained 1.3%, while those describing their health as "bad" remained 4.7%.

These data reflect people’s own opinions in describing their overall health on a five point scale, from very good to very bad.

Census 2021 was conducted during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and rated their health, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

In 2021, 1.3% of usual residents said their health was very bad in Fenland

Family in Fenland

Of Fenland households, 19.2% included a couple but no children in 2021, down from 20.8% in 2011.

In 2021, just over one in six households (16.8%) included a couple with dependent children, compared with 18.4% in 2011. The percentage of single family households including a couple living with only non-dependent children increased from 6.1% to 6.3%.

The decrease in the percentage of households including a couple but no children in Fenland (1.6 percentage points) was similar to the decrease across the East of England (1.8 percentage points, from 19.0% to 17.2%). Across England, the percentage fell by 0.9 percentage points, from 17.6% to 16.8%.

The percentage of households including a couple without children in Fenland decreased by 1.6 percentage points

Disability in Fenland

In 2021, 8.4% of Fenland residents were identified as being disabled and limited a lot. This figure decreased from 9.6% in 2011. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

In 2021, just over one in nine people (11.2%) were identified as being disabled and limited a little, compared with 10.8% in 2011. The proportion of Fenland residents who were not disabled increased from 79.6% to 80.5%.

The decrease in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot in Fenland (1.2 percentage points) was similar to the decrease across the East of England (1.2 percentage points, from 7.8% to 6.6%). Across England, the proportion fell by 1.6 percentage points, from 9.1% to 7.5%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived their health status and activity limitations, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

The percentage of people who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot in Fenland decreased by 1.2 percentage points

Ethnic groups in Fenland

In 2021, 0.7% of Fenland residents identified their ethnic group within the "Other" category ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group"), up from 0.2% in 2011. The 0.5 percentage-point change was the largest increase among high-level ethnic groups in this area.

Across the East of England, the percentage of people from the "Other ethnic groups" ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group") increased from 0.5% to 1.4%, while across England the percentage increased from 1.0% to 2.2%.

In 2021, 95.9% of people in Fenland identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 97.2% in 2011), while 1.4% identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category (compared with 0.9% the previous decade).

The percentage of people who identified their ethnic group within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category increased from 1.1% in 2011 to 1.2% in 2021.

There are many factors that may be contributing to the changing ethnic composition of England and Wales, such as differing patterns of ageing, fertility, mortality, and migration. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses.

In 2021, 0.7% of usual residents in Fenland identified their ethnic group within the "Other" category ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group")

About the data

Census data are adjusted to reflect estimated non-response so that the published results relate to the entire usually resident population as it was on Census Day (21 March 2021).

Those respondents who were on furlough because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were asked to classify themselves as "temporarily away from work" to ensure they remained in the economically active population.

Students are counted as usually resident at their term-time address even if they were not physically present there on Census Day.

The questions relating to disability differed slightly between 2011 and 2021 to ensure that data were more closely aligned with the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010). There was also a change to question wording for unpaid care, for more information read the health, disability and unpaid care quality information.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout the health, disability and unpaid care sections. They allow for fairer comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure. The 2013 European Standard Population is used to standardise proportions.

Percentages and percentage point changes have been individually rounded to one decimal place. This means they may not sum exactly.

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About these articles

There is an article like this for every local authority district in England and Wales. The articles have been written and semi-automated by our data journalists and are a new publishing format for the Office for National Statistics.

Topics are chosen and ordered automatically based on how relevant they are for each area, however all data are checked before publishing.

We have not included topics that were new for Census 2021 or where there is no comparability with the 2011 Census. Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.

These articles were first published on 8 December 2022 covering topics such as demography, country of birth, ethnic groups, religion, national identity and economic activity status. They were updated on 19 January 2023 following the release of more data from Census 2021 and now include housing tenure, general health, disability and unpaid care.

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