London’s Population in 2026
London remains the largest and most populous city in the United Kingdom, with the Office for National Statistics’ most recent official mid-2024 estimate placing the capital’s population at 9,089,736 residents — the first time London’s official count has climbed back above nine million since before the pandemic-era population dip. That figure represents continued growth from the 8,799,800 recorded at the 2021 Census, itself up from 8,173,941 at the 2011 Census, confirming London’s position as one of the fastest-growing major urban centres in Western Europe even as growth elsewhere in the country has slowed.
London’s defining demographic characteristic remains its extraordinary diversity: it is the only region in England where White British residents make up less than half the population, at just 36.8%, according to the 2021 Census — a milestone first reached in 2011 and one that continues to distinguish the capital sharply from every other English region. This report compiles the most current, verified statistics on London’s population size, growth, ethnic composition, and borough-level breakdown, drawing on Office for National Statistics mid-year estimates, the 2021 Census, and Greater London Authority demographic projections.
Interesting Facts About London’s Population in 2026
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official ONS Mid-2024 Population Estimate | 9,089,736 |
| 2021 Census Population | 8,799,800 |
| 2011 Census Population | 8,173,941 |
| Population Growth, 2011–2021 | +7.7% |
| Population Added, Mid-2023 to Mid-2024 | ~90,000 |
| Births Exceeding Deaths, 2024 | 55,000+ |
| White British Share of Population | 36.8% — only English region below 50% |
| Foreign-Born Residents | ~37% of the population |
| Male / Female Split (Mid-2024 ONS) | 4,409,526 male / 4,680,210 female |
| GLA Projected Population by 2046 | 9.86–10.25 million |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Mid-2024 Population Estimates (via Nomis); Census 2021; Greater London Authority 2024-based population projections
The gap between London’s 8,799,800 population at the 2021 Census and the 9,089,736 confirmed in the ONS’s more recent mid-2024 estimate reflects roughly 290,000 additional residents in under three years, driven by a combination of natural population growth and net migration. Notably, 2024 was one of only four English regions where natural change — births minus deaths — remained positive, with London recording more than 55,000 more births than deaths that year alone, a reflection of the capital’s comparatively young population age structure relative to the rest of England.
That population growth, however, comes with an important caveat worth stating plainly: “London” itself is not a single, unambiguous figure. Depending on the source and the geographic boundary used — Greater London, the wider built-up metropolitan area, or the historic City of London specifically — reported population totals can vary by hundreds of thousands or more. The 8,920-square-kilometre “Larger Urban Zone” used for EU-standard metropolitan comparisons, for instance, put London’s population at 11,917,000 under Eurostat’s harmonised methodology, a figure considerably higher than the Greater London administrative total most commonly cited in official UK statistics.
London Population Growth Statistics 2026
| Year | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Census | 8,173,941 | ONS |
| 2021 Census | 8,799,800 | ONS |
| Mid-2023 ONS Estimate | ~9,000,000 | ONS |
| Mid-2024 ONS Estimate | 9,089,736 | ONS (via Nomis) |
| Population Growth, 2011–2021 | +7.7% (vs. 6.37% UK average) | ONS |
| Net International Migration Contribution (2024) | Positive, primary growth driver | ONS |
| Net Internal (Domestic) Migration | Negative — outflow to rest of UK | GLA |
Source: Office for National Statistics; London Datastore, Greater London Authority
London’s 7.7% population growth between 2011 and 2021 outpaced the UK-wide average of 6.37% over the same decade, driven overwhelmingly by international migration rather than domestic movement. In fact, London consistently records negative net internal migration — meaning more people move from London to other parts of the UK each year than move into London from elsewhere in the country — a pattern offset entirely by strong net international migration and the capital’s comparatively high birth rate relative to its death rate.
This combination of dynamics — residents leaving for other UK regions while new international migrants and births continue driving overall growth — has remained remarkably consistent across the past decade and a half, and explains why London’s population has continued climbing even during years when net international migration to the UK overall has slowed. The 2024 mid-year estimate’s confirmation of continued growth, adding roughly 90,000 people in a single year, suggests this underlying growth pattern remains firmly intact heading into the second half of the 2020s.
Inner and Outer London Population Statistics 2026
| Area | Population (2021 Census) | Density | Share of Greater London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 3,404,300 | 10,700/km² | 38.7% |
| Outer London | 5,395,500 | 4,306/km² | 61.3% |
| Greater London Total | 8,799,800 | 5,854/km² | 100% |
| Inner London Area | 319 km² | — | — |
| Outer London Area | 1,253 km² | — | — |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021; Wikipedia (Demographics of London)
The split between Inner London, home to just under 39% of the capital’s population within a compact 319 square kilometres, and Outer London, holding over 60% of residents across a much larger 1,253-square-kilometre area, illustrates the sharp density gradient that defines the capital’s geography. Inner London’s population density of 10,700 people per square kilometre is more than double that of Outer London’s 4,306 per square kilometre, reflecting the concentration of high-rise residential development, historic housing stock subdivided into flats, and limited green space in the boroughs closest to the city centre.
Growth patterns between the two zones have also diverged meaningfully: Outer London’s population grew 8.49% between 2011 and 2021, outpacing Inner London’s 5.03% growth over the same period, even though Inner London is separately projected to see the most significant growth over the following decade, with some projections putting Inner London growth as high as 15.84% through 2031 — driven substantially by new high-density residential development in boroughs like Tower Hamlets.
London Population by Ethnicity Statistics 2026
| Ethnic Group | Share of London Population (2021 Census) |
|---|---|
| White (Total) | 53.8% |
| White British | 36.8% |
| White Other | ~12.2% |
| Asian / Asian British | 20.7%–20.8% |
| Black / Black British | 13.5% |
| Mixed Ethnicity | 5.7% |
| Other Ethnic Groups | 6.2%–6.3% |
| Non-White British Share (Total) | 63.2% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021
London’s 63.2% non-White British population share makes it, by a considerable margin, the most ethnically diverse region in England — the England Population by Race report confirms London stands alone as the only English region where White British residents fall below 50%, compared with a 73.5% White British share for England as a whole. Within London’s non-White British majority, the Asian population at roughly 20.8% and Black population at 13.5% represent the two largest minority ethnic groupings, together accounting for well over a third of all Londoners.
This diversity did not emerge suddenly — it reflects a gradual, multi-decade transformation that reached its most significant historical milestone in 2011, when the White British population first fell below 50% of London’s total, ending a majority status the group had held throughout the city’s recorded demographic history up to that point. Since then, the trend has continued steadily rather than reversing, with the 2021 Census confirming the White British share had fallen further still, to 36.8%, even as the White British population, in absolute numbers, remains the single largest individual ethnic category recorded in the capital.
London Foreign-Born Population and Migration Statistics 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Foreign-Born Share of London Population | ~37% |
| Foreign-Born Population, Approximate Count | 3.3 million+ |
| Foreign-Born Population Increase, 2001–2011 | +54% |
| Most Common Non-UK Country of Birth | India |
| Non-UK Born Population Holding UK Passport | ~46% |
| Non-UK Born Population Holding Only Non-UK Passport | ~52% |
| UK-Born Population Change, 2001–2011 | Decreased |
Source: Migration Observatory, University of Oxford; Office for National Statistics, Census 2011/2021
London’s status as the UK’s primary gateway for international migration is reflected clearly in its foreign-born population share of roughly 37% — meaning well over a third of everyone living in the capital was born outside the United Kingdom. That proportion has grown substantially over the past two decades: London’s non-UK-born population increased by 54% between 2001 and 2011 alone, a rate of growth so significant that it accounted for more than the entirety of London’s total population increase over that decade, since the UK-born population in London actually declined slightly over the same period.
India remains the single most common country of birth among London’s foreign-born residents, consistent with broader England-and-Wales-wide migration patterns, though the city’s international population draws from an unusually wide range of source countries relative to most other UK regions. Passport-holding data adds useful nuance to this picture: roughly 46% of London’s non-UK-born residents hold a UK passport — reflecting naturalisation, dual heritage, or birth to UK national parents abroad — while the remaining majority hold only non-UK passports, illustrating that “foreign-born” and “foreign national” are meaningfully different categories that shouldn’t be conflated when interpreting migration statistics.
London Population Density, Age, and Gender Statistics 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Population Density (2020 Estimate) | 5,854 people/km² |
| Life Expectancy, Male (2018–2020) | 80.3 years |
| Life Expectancy, Female (2018–2020) | 84.3 years |
| Fertility Rate (2021) | 1.52 children per woman |
| Infant Mortality Rate (2018–2020) | 3.4 deaths per 1,000 live births |
| Main Language: English | 78.4% of residents |
| Mid-2024 Male Population | 4,409,526 |
| Mid-2024 Female Population | 4,680,210 |
Source: Office for National Statistics; Wikipedia (Demographics of London)
London’s population density of roughly 5,854 people per square kilometre remains, by a wide margin, the highest of any English region — the UK Population Statistics report notes the national UK-wide density sits at just 279 people per square kilometre, meaning London’s density runs more than twenty times the national average, concentrating close to 9.1 million people into a fraction of the country’s total land area. That density, combined with the capital’s younger-than-average age profile, helps explain why London remains one of the few English regions still recording positive natural population change even as national birth rates continue trending downward.
London’s fertility rate of 1.52 children per woman sits below the roughly 2.1 figure typically associated with long-term population replacement, a pattern consistent with most major Western European capital cities, where high housing costs and delayed family formation tend to suppress birth rates relative to national averages. The nearly 270,000-person gap between London’s female population (4,680,210) and male population (4,409,526) as of the mid-2024 estimate reflects the same pattern seen in most ageing developed-world populations, where women’s longer average life expectancy — 84.3 years versus 80.3 for men — produces an increasingly female-skewed population at older ages.
London Boroughs Population Statistics 2026
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Total London Boroughs | 32, plus the City of London |
| Most Populous Borough | Barnet (overtook Croydon in 2009) |
| Least Populous Area | City of London (~8,595 residents) |
| Largest Borough by Area (Lowest Density) | Bromley (~2,197 people/km²; 60% Green Belt) |
| Fastest-Growing Borough, 2011–2021 | Tower Hamlets (+21.2%) |
| Projected Tower Hamlets Growth, 2021–2031 | +22.2% |
| Borough Projected to Decline | Ealing (−8.7% projected, 2021–2031) |
| Notable High Muslim Population Borough | Tower Hamlets (123,912 residents) |
Source: London Datastore, Greater London Authority; LandTech analysis of ONS 2021 Census data
Among London’s 32 boroughs, population trends vary dramatically — Tower Hamlets recorded the steadiest and fastest growth of any borough over the past two decades, with its population climbing 21.2% between 2011 and 2021 alone, and further growth of 22.2% projected through 2031, driven by sustained high-density residential development around Canary Wharf and the wider Docklands regeneration area. That growth trajectory contrasts sharply with Ealing, which recorded solid 8.2% growth in the 2011–2021 period but is projected to see its population decline by 8.7% over the following decade, illustrating how borough-level projections can diverge substantially even between geographically adjacent parts of the capital.
At the extremes of London’s population distribution, the historic City of London — the small, ancient financial district at the capital’s core — remains home to just 8,595 residents, making it by far the least populous London local authority area despite its outsized economic significance, while Bromley, London’s largest borough by land area, maintains the lowest population density at roughly 2,197 people per square kilometre, a figure shaped substantially by the borough’s status as 60% Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land. Tower Hamlets also stands out on another demographic measure: it ranks among the boroughs with London’s largest Muslim population, a pattern examined in greater depth in the Muslim Population Statistics in UK report, which documents how Tower Hamlets and neighbouring Newham together account for a significant share of the capital’s Muslim residents.
London Population Growth Projections Statistics 2026
| Projection Scenario | Projected 2046 Population |
|---|---|
| Low International Migration, 5-Year Trend | 9.86 million |
| High International Migration, 15-Year Trend | 10.25 million |
| Comparable 2022-Based Projection (Prior Cycle) | Up to 10.17 million |
| Comparable 2022-Based Low-End Projection | 9.26 million |
| Projection Basis | ONS mid-2024 population estimates |
| Full Housing-Led Projections Expected | Early 2026 |
Source: Greater London Authority, 2024-based population projections (research outputs)
The Greater London Authority’s latest population projections, built directly on the ONS’s mid-2024 estimates and published as research outputs pending full housing-led modelling, put London’s total population somewhere between 9.86 million and 10.25 million by 2046, depending on which international migration scenario proves closest to reality. Notably, the lower end of this range sits considerably higher than the equivalent lower-bound figure from the GLA’s previous 2022-based projection cycle — a shift the GLA attributes directly to newly incorporated ONS data showing two consecutive years of increased international migration inflows that hadn’t been captured in the earlier projection models.
That upward revision matters for long-term infrastructure and housing planning across the capital, since even the projections’ more conservative scenario implies London’s population could grow by close to a million additional residents over the next two decades from its current mid-2024 base of roughly 9.09 million. The GLA has indicated that fully finalised, housing-led population projections — intended to serve as a key evidentiary input for the next official London Plan — are expected to be published in early 2026, which should offer planners a more definitive picture than these preliminary research-output figures currently provide.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
