Nottingham Insight

Population

Headline statistics

  • Total population - 323,700
  • Working age population (16-64) - 226,400
  • Males - 159,000
  • Females - 164,600
  • Older people (65+) - 38,000
  • Older people (85+) - 5,300 
  • Children aged 0-4 - 17,800
  • Children aged 5-10 - 23,100
  • Children aged 11-15 - 18,400
  • Children aged 0-15 - 59,300
  • Children aged 0-17 - 66,000
  • University students - 50,900*

Source: ONS 2021 Census,

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 323,700 (Census 2021) which is 13,000 lower than the Mid-Year Estimates 2020 which estimated the population to be 337,100.
  • The City continues to see a large amount of population 'churn', with 32,300 people arriving from elsewhere within the UK and 34,500 leaving in the year 2019 - 2020.
  • Population projections suggest that this may rise to around 344,300 by 2027. International migration (recently from Eastern Europe) and an increase in student numbers are the main reasons for the population growth since 2001, together with the excess of births over deaths.
  • Just under 30% of the population are aged 18 to 29.
  • Full-time university students comprise about 1 in 7 of the population.
  • In the short to medium term, the City is unlikely to follow the national trend of seeing large increases in the number of people over retirement age, although the number aged 85+ is projected to increase.
  • The number of births has risen in recent years until 2011 but the numbers have slowly declined since then.
  • 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.
  • The City gains young adults due to migration, both international and within Britain, whilst losing all other age groups - this includes a net loss of families with children mostly through moves to the surrounding districts.
  • 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 2012, 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 a third of children and young people living in workless 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