Nottingham City Council logo

Nottingham Insight

Population

Headline statistics

  • Total population - 329,300
  • Working age population (16-64) - 230,400
  • Males - 162,200
  • Females - 167,100
  • Older people (65+) - 38,700
  • Older people (85+) - 5,200 
  • Children aged 0-4 - 17,800
  • Children aged 5-10 - 23,100
  • Children aged 11-15 - 19,300
  • Children aged 0-15 - 60,200
  • Children aged 0-17 - 67,500
  • University students - 48,000*

Source: ONS 2023 Mid Year Estimates,

except * from Universities: number living and studying in the City.

District profile

Please read these headline statistics in conjunction with the Nottingham City District Profile and our infographic providing an overview of the City population.

An overview of Nottingham's population.

  • The latest estimate of the City’s resident population is 329,300 (ONS 2023 Mid Year Estimates) which is 1,850 higher than the 2022 Mid-Year Estimates, an increase of 0.6%.
  • The City continues to see a large amount of population 'churn', with 33,500 people arriving from elsewhere within the UK and 41,800 leaving in the year 2022 - 2023.
  • In addition, 15,000 people arrived from outside the country and 5,700 left over the same period.
  • International migration and an increase in student numbers are the main reasons for the population growth since 2001, together with the excess of births over deaths.
  • The City generally gains young adults due to migration, both from within England and from overseas, whilst losing all other age groups.  This includes a net loss of families with children mostly through moves to the surrounding districts.
  • Just under 30% of the population are aged 18 to 29.
  • Full-time university students comprise about 1 in 7 of the population.
  • Population projections suggest the population may rise to around 343,100 by 2033.
  • The number of older people in the City is projected to increase, but will still make up a smaller proportion of the population than in England overall.
  • The number of births reached a recent peak in 2011 but the numbers have slowly declined since then. Historical trends suggest they will rise again in future years.
  • The 2021 Census shows 42.7% of the population as being from BME groups; an increase from 35% in 2011.
  • Despite its young age-structure, Nottingham has a higher than average rate of people with a limiting long-term illness or disability.
  • There is a high turnover of population - 21% of people changed address in the year before the 2011 Census.

Further information about the Nottingham's population

  • Nottingham is ranked 11th most deprived district in England in the 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), an increase from 8th in the 2015 IMD.
  • Just under a third of super output areas in the City are in the worst 10% nationally (IMD 2019).
  • 34.2% of children and 25.8% of people aged 60 and over are affected by income deprivation.
  • Health and Disability is the Indices of Deprivation domain on which Nottingham does worst, followed by Education, Skills & Training and Crime.
  • A higher proportion of people aged 16-64 in Nottingham claim some form of benefit than regionally and nationally. See the latest Quarterly Benefits Bulletin.
  • The unemployment rate is lower than the recent peak in March 2021, but remains higher than the regional and national average. See the latest Monthly Unemployment Note.
  • Residents who live in the City have a lower average income than people who work in the City. See the latest Summary of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
  • Despite large numbers of students, Nottingham has a higher proportion of people of working age with no qualifications, compared with the national average. See the latest Quarterly Indicators summary.
  • There are high levels of child poverty in the City with around two fifths of children and young people living in lower income households. See the latest Child Poverty note.
  • Rates of car ownership are low, particularly amongst pensioners living alone and lone parents. See the Census data page.

Explore further data and analysis on Nottingham's population

If you need any further information about a particular dataset, or help finding information, please contact:

  Niki Kirk
Information and Research Officer
Tel 0115 8763 979
nicola.kirk@nottinghamcity.gov.uk