The North East has seen the smallest increase in population size among all the English regions, according to the latest census results.

The census takes place every 10-years and more than 24 million households across England and Wales filled in census questionnaires in spring last year, with a record 89 per cent of responses completed online.

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The figures reveal that the overall population of the North East grew by just 1.9 per cent, or around 50,000 people, between 2011 and 2021.

This is significantly lower than the overall increase for England (6.6 per cent), where the population grew by nearly 3.5 million to 56,489,800 - making it the largest census population ever recorded.

More than 24 million households across England and Wales filled in census questionnaires in spring last year, with a record 89 per cent of responses completed online.

The largest population increases in the North East have been seen in Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside, where the populations have grown by 7.1 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively.

In County Durham on census day, 522,100 people were living in the area – up two per cent from 513,242 in 2011, when the last census was carried out.

County Durham’s population is now 48.9 per cent male and 51.1 per cent female, meaning there is now a slightly higher proportion of women in the area than ten-years-ago.

In Darlington, the population size has increased by 2.1 per cent, from around 105,600 residents in 2011 to 107,800 in 2021. 

The balance of men and women in the area has changed – Darlington’s population is now 48.9 per cent male and 51.1 per cent female, meaning there is now a slightly higher proportion of men in the area than a decade ago.

The census results also show Darlington's population is aging.

Ten-years-ago ago the population was made up of 12 per cent under-10s and 17.5 per cent over-65s, but this had changed to 10.9 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively by 2021.

In North Yorkshire, Hambleton has seen its population grow by 1.8 per cent to 90,700 residents, while on Teesside, Middlesbrough saw a more significant increase of four per cent, with a 2021 population of 143,900.

Nationally there were 25 local authority areas seeing a decline in population, including some in our region.

Richmondshire saw a 4.4 per cent decrease in residents, from around 52,000 a decade ago to 49,700 in March 2021.

Gateshead saw a 2.1 per cent decline, Sunderland a 0.5 per cent drop and South Tyneside recorded a 0.2 per cent decrease in population.

The Northern Echo: The census reveals how the country's population has changed over ten years Picture: PAThe census reveals how the country's population has changed over ten years Picture: PA

Pete Benton, ONS deputy national statistician, said the figures “begin to paint a rich and detailed snapshot of the nation and how we were living during the pandemic”.

He said: “Since census day, the world has continued to change.

“People continue to move home, some people will have left the country, others will have arrived.

“People will have changed jobs, some of us now work in offices once again, while others continue to work from home.

“We need to understand all of this and more.”

The figures show that the South East remains the most populous region in England with 9.3 million people, followed by London with 8.8 million.

The East of England was the region that saw the biggest percentage rise in population from the 2011 to 2021 census, up 8.3 per cent from 5.8 million to 6.3 million.

Data from the 2021 census for England and Wales will be published in stages over the next two years, the ONS said.

Future releases will include figures on ethnicity, religion, the labour market, education and housing plus, for the first time, information on UK armed forces veterans, sexual orientation and gender identity.

 

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