Regional Profiles - Population and Migration - London, March 2013

Migration flows, 2010

Source: Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Interregional migration is based on patients re-registering with NHS doctors in other parts of the UK
2. International migration is based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey with various adjustments

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London has a large annual turnover of population and a relatively young population.

The region received 161,000 international in-migrants in 2010, equivalent to 2% of its resident population. Migration to London from the rest of the UK accounted for a further 176,000 new residents. About 334,000 people left London in 2010 of whom 221,000 went to other parts of the UK and 113,000 to other countries. This large annual turnover resulted in a small net increase in the region’s population of 4,000.

London’s age structure also differs from other regions, the population tending to be younger than in the country as a whole. In mid-2011, 19.9% of the population were aged under 16, compared with 18.9% in England. Only 11.1% of the population were aged 65 or over compared with 16.4% for England. The greatest contrast is in Outer London: Barking and Dagenham had the highest percentage of children under 16 at 25.9%; in Havering 17.9% of residents were aged 65 or over.

London is the second largest region in terms of total population (after the South East), accounting for 15.4% of the England total. There were 8.2 million residents in mid-2011, an increase from 7.3 million in 2001 (a growth of 12%). The interim 2011-based population projections suggest the population could increase by 14.2% between 2011 and 2021 to 9.4 million.

In mid-2011 the average population density of London was 5,200 people per sq km, but there were considerable differences between the boroughs. The most densely populated boroughs were Inner London boroughs: Islington with 13,900 and Kensington and Chelsea with 13,000 people per sq km.

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background notes

1. Notes and sources:

   The data section of this release (454.5 Kb Excel sheet)  provides more Population and Migration data. Office for National Statistics is the source for the data.

   Population estimates and projections are based on the 2011 Census. The mid-2011 population estimates are those published on 25 September 2012 and the interim 2011-based subnational population projections were published on 28 September 2012.

   Migration data are for calendar years. The latest calendar year for which both interregional and international migration are available is 2010. Interregional migration data were published on 17 October 2011 and international migration data were published on 24 November 2011. An interactive map of Internal Migration in England and Wales by Local Authority allows you to view ONS migration estimates for England & Wales as a ‘flow map’ drawing lines on the map to represent movements of migrants between areas of the country. The map requires a web browser capable of supporting HTML5 content – for example, Internet Explorer 9+, Firefox, Chrome, Safar and iOS5+/Android3+ mobile devices.

   The 2011 Census provides a wealth of information for local areas. In particular you may be interested in:

   2001 vs 2011 – Population and Age – interactive map allows you to find your area’s average age, population density and more

   2011 Census area comparison tool – interactive tool allows the comparison of any 2 areas in England and Wales using 2011 Census population estimates and also provides a visual summary of change since 2001. Note – Requires Adobe Flash v10 or above

   Census population and change – interactive map allows you to find the population density and change in population in your area since 2001

2. You may use or re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

3. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk

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