Census shows how the population of Southend is changing

July 4, 2022

First results from the 2021 national census have been published and show an extra 7,000 people live in Southend-on-Sea compared to ten years ago.

The census is a snapshot in time of the country on 21 March 2021 and shows there were 56,489,800 people living in England, an increase of 6.6 per cent from 2011 and the largest the population has ever been.

In Southend-on-Sea, the population has increased by 4.1 per cent, from 173,700 in 2011 to 180,700 in 2021. The census also showed the biggest population increase in Southend-on-Sea is in older age groups. There was a 12 per cent increase in people aged 65 years and over.

The population of younger age groups in Southend-on-Sea is also growing. Those aged under 15 grew 4.2 per cent in the ten years between 2011 to 2021.

There were 78,300 households in Southend-on-Sea on Census Day; the number of households increased by more than 3,600 since 2011 (4.9%), when there were 74,678 households. The number of households in England grew by 6.2% since the last census in 2011.

These population and household population figures are the first in a series of census 2021 data being released over the next two years. From October, until the end of the year, initial topic summary reports including demography, migration, ethnicity, religion, UK armed forces veterans, education, health, the labour market, sexual orientation and gender identity will be released.

Cllr Stephen George, leader of the council, said: “It is with great interest the census results confirm changes in our community that we’ve seen happen over the years, including the growing number of homes we are providing. We will use the data to inform how we deliver our services in Southend-on-Sea, to make sure we meet the needs of our residents.

“As the data is being released in stages, it will be interesting to see what other facts the census tells us, such as which professions are the most popular and how that has changed through the decades.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in the census, became part of history and helped tell the ongoing story of our wonderful City of Southend.”

Commenting on the numbers, the Office for National Statistics’ Deputy National Statistician Pete Benton said: “Today’s census statistics begin to paint a rich and detailed snapshot of the nation and how we were living during the pandemic. They show the population of England and Wales continued to grow across the decade, albeit at different rates across the regions.

“Ultimately, the full suite of census results, based on the information we all gave, will ensure decisions about how the billions of pounds we spend each year as a nation are made using the best possible evidence. This includes planning our emergency services, mental health care, school places, hospital beds, houses, roads, buses, trains, trams, GPs and dentists’ services.”