Use this page to explore London's population, and how it has changed over the decades. To explore data on poverty and inequality by different demographics, visit here.
London's population over time (1931-2035)
London’s population has changed dramatically over the past century. This indicator shows how many people lived in London throughout the decades, and how the population is likely to change in the future.
1939-1991: Post-war falling population
In 1939, 8.6 million people lived in the capital. Over the following decades, the population fell steadily to 6.8 million in 1991.The fall was most pronounced in Inner London, which saw its population reduce by almost half over 50 years.
1991-2035: Growing population
London’s population has been recovering since the early 1990s. In 2022, a new high of 8.9 million people lived in the city.
This growth has been seen in both Inner and Outer London - although Inner London is still 1.4 million short of its peak, in 1931. By 2035, London’s population is expected to increase to a total population of 9.6 million.
Data source: Mid-year population estimates, ONS (2022). Population of the UK by country of birth and nationality, 2021 Census. Ethnic group populations, 2021 Census.
Population change
Around 8.9 million people live in London, which had overall growth since 2012 of 6.2% - slightly lower than the rest of England’s growth of 6.3%. This growth was strongest in East London which saw an increase of 9.5%. South and West London also had sizeable population increases of 5.2% and 6.7% respectively.Central London had the smallest population increase, of just 1.4%.
(Note: The map at the bottom of the page shows which boroughs make up London’s sub-regions of Central, East, North, South and West).
Population density
London’s population is 15 times more dense than the rest of England, with 5,640 people per km2 compared to 375 people per km2. Central Londo…
Population by age-groups (2021)
More than one in five people living in Inner London (23.1%) are aged between 25 and 34. This compares to just 12.7% of those in the rest of England. More broadly, in Inner London, almost half the population is made up out of those who are in their early twenties to early forties (47.2%), compared to the rest of England where three in 10 (31.1%) are in this age group, and Inner London is home to a higher proportion of young people than Outer London.
This is caused by people moving to Inner London for work early in their careers and then leaving as they start families. The largest five-year age band is 25 to 29 year olds in Inner London, 35 to 39 year olds in Outer London and 50 to 54 year olds in the rest of England. A relatively small proportion of London’s population is over 65; 9.4% in Inner London and 13.6% in Outer London compared to …
Births and deaths in London (2010-2020)
Each year, more people are born in London than die. Just under 116,000 babies were born in 2020 and nearly 59,000 died. Although births continued to decrease somewhat, they were at a broadly similar level in 2020 to 2019, whereas deaths show a substantial increase presumably due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 10,000 increase on the previous year when around 49,000 people died. So, in 2020, the net natural population change was an increase of 57,000 whereas in 2019 it was 71,000.
The number of births in London has fallen slightly from the peak of 134,000 following a mini baby boom in years running up to 2012. Newham and Tower Hamlets were the boroughs with the highest levels of net births in 2020, with 3,800 and 3,086 respectively.