Projected population growth
London’s projected population growth 2016–26, by borough
In May 2016 the Office for National Statistics released updated population projections for all English local authorities, including the London boroughs.
The ONS issued a statistical bulletin focusing on the ten-year period from mid-2014 to mid-2024, making the following points:
- London, the East of England and the South East regions are all projected to grow at a faster rate than England
- London is projected to grow the fastest (13.7 per cent), followed by the East (8.9 per cent) and the South East (8.1 per cent) over the ten-year period to mid-2024, compared with the projected growth for England of 7.5 per cent over the same time period
- Projected change in population for local authorities ranges from a fall of 4.3 per cent in Barrow-in-Furness to growth of 25.1 per cent for Tower Hamlets over the ten years to mid-2024
- Nine of the ten fastest growing areas are in London, with the exception being Corby in Northamptonshire
Using the full ONS dataset, Hidden London has extracted the projected growth rates for each London borough (plus the City) for mid-2016 to mid-2026 and these are shown in the table below (as well as in the map above).*
Projected growth for 2016–26 is generally slightly slower than for 2014–24, suggesting that some of the most rapid rises may have already taken place (in 2014 to 2016). Nevertheless, forecast population increases such as Tower Hamlets’ 20 per cent and Barking and Dagenham’s 18 per cent are still explosive by British standards. In sharp contrast, Kensington and Chelsea’s projected two per cent increase is remarkably sedate.
Borough | 2016 population | 2026 population | Projected increase |
---|---|---|---|
Barking and Dagenham | 206,934 | 244,139 | +18.0% |
Barnet | 388,416 | 441,372 | +13.6% |
Bexley | 245,181 | 273,647 | +11.6% |
Brent | 330,770 | 362,949 | +9.7% |
Bromley | 328,715 | 368,606 | +12.1% |
Camden | 248,472 | 280,730 | +13.0% |
City of London | 8,672 | 9,886 | +14.0% |
Croydon | 385,670 | 429,833 | +11.5% |
Ealing | 349,200 | 373,375 | +6.9% |
Enfield | 334,279 | 377,022 | +12.8% |
Greenwich | 278,259 | 316,423 | +13.7% |
Hackney | 273,506 | 312,957 | +14.4% |
Hammersmith and Fulham | 182,005 | 191,331 | +5.1% |
Haringey | 276,044 | 305,189 | +10.6% |
Harrow | 251,960 | 276,758 | +9.8% |
Havering | 251,513 | 283,401 | +12.7% |
Hillingdon | 304,218 | 347,642 | +14.3% |
Hounslow | 275,083 | 308,099 | +12.0% |
Islington | 232,196 | 262,507 | +13.1% |
Kensington and Chelsea | 158,011 | 161,310 | +2.1% |
Kingston upon Thames | 176,952 | 202,097 | +14.2% |
Lambeth | 328,076 | 357,980 | +9.1% |
Lewisham | 301,541 | 341,049 | +13.1% |
Merton | 208,816 | 230,147 | +10.2% |
Newham | 340,736 | 388,700 | +14.1% |
Redbridge | 303,570 | 349,541 | +15.1% |
Richmond upon Thames | 199,715 | 224,830 | +12.6% |
Southwark | 314,575 | 351,880 | +11.9% |
Sutton | 203,067 | 227,859 | +12.2% |
Tower Hamlets | 303,891 | 365,382 | +20.2% |
Waltham Forest | 275,578 | 304,484 | +10.5% |
Wandsworth | 320,598 | 347,463 | +8.4% |
Westminster | 246,149 | 274,161 | +11.4% |
Greater London total | 8,832,370 | 9,892,748 | +12.0% |
See also Hidden London’s page on London demographics.