Biggest cities and towns in the UK by population

HR software provider Ciphr compiled a list of the UK's 100 biggest cities and towns (by population) as part of its research into the best towns and cities for job opportunities.

The figures included in this infographic are based on the mid-year (June 2022) population estimates for local authority areas in the UK, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published in 2024. Ciphr used this data to calculate working age populations for the 100 largest towns and cities.

According to the latest ONS estimates, the UK has a population of over 67.5 million people (about 34.4 million females and 33.1 million males).

Of those, around 62.8% (or 42,453,896 people) are aged 16 to 64 years old (which is usually considered to be of ‘working age’).

The average (median) age of UK residents is now 40.7 years old.

 

Which UK towns and cities have the biggest populations?

• London is the most populous city in the UK, with an estimated (regional) population of over 8.8 million (8,866,180) people. Over two-thirds (68.8%) of London’s population are aged between 16 and 64 years
• The next biggest city, by population, is Birmingham. Over 1.1 million (1,157,603) people live in this metropolitan district. Around 64.8% of them are of ‘working age’
• Leeds is the third biggest city, with a population of 822,483 (within its metropolitan district's boundaries). Around 65.5% of them are aged 16 to 64 years old
• Glasgow is the fourth biggest city in the UK, and Scotland's most populous council area, with a local population of 622,820 
• Manchester is the UK's fifth biggest city. This metropolitan district is home to 568,996 people

 

Where are the UK's largest and smallest working populations?

Based on the ONS' 2022 mid-year population estimates, the town with the largest proportion of people that are of 'working age' is Cambridge. Nearly three-quarters of Cambridge's residents are ages 16 to 64 years. 

Other towns and cities with large working-age populations (a higher-than-average share of 16-64 year-olds living there) include Oxford (72.7%), Brighton and Hove (70.9%), Glasgow (70.5%) and Manchester (70.5%).

Towns and cities with some of the smallest numbers of working-age residents include Chichester (57.1% of the population is aged 16 to 64 years old), Havant (58.1%), Stratford-upon-Avon (58.2%), Sevenoaks (58.3%), and Horsham (58.9%).

 

Which towns and cities have the youngest populations in the UK?

The London borough of Tower Hamlets has the lowest reported average (median) age of all the local authorities in the UK, at 30.5 years old. The next lowest is the metropolitan district of Manchester at 30.7 years old, followed by Nottingham (31), Oxford (31.7), Cambridge (31.8), and Leicester (33.6).

All resident population estimates quoted are for local authority (LA) areas. LA boundaries may be different from town or city boundaries, and could include their wider surroundings. For more details on LA boundaries, please refer to this ONS map.

All data sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS):

• Mid-2022 estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (released on 26 March 2024) – Table MYE2: Persons by single year of age and sex for local authorities in the UK, mid-2022: http://bit.ly/3WuIUdM

Working-age population estimates (for people aged 16 to 64 years), and the proportion of working age people (as a share of the total population), were calculated by Ciphr.