There are now more people aged 65 and over – representing 18.6% of the population, up from 16.4% in 2011, according to the National Statistics Office (ONS). From the last census on March 27 of that year, populations increased in all parts of England and in Wales – with the highest increase in the East of England – an increase of 8.3% or about 488,000 inhabitants. The local authorities where the population has shrunk the most are both in London. In Kensington and Chelsea it fell by 9.6% and in Westminster by 6.9%. In contrast, Tower Hamlets, in east London, saw the largest population growth (22.1% increase), followed by Dartford in Kent (20%). London also has the highest percentage of people aged 15 to 64, with this group accounting for 70%. There are more people aged 65 and over in Wales (21.3%) than in England (18.4%). The English areas with the most people over the age of 65 are North Norfolk and Rother in East Sussex (33.4% and 32.4% of their population respectively. East Devon has the most people aged 90 and over – the equivalent of 1.9% of the population there. In both countries, people aged 15 to 64 make up 64.1% of the population, with people under the age of 15 accounting for 17.4%. Even more women than men As in 2011, there are still more women (51% of the population) than men (49%) overall. In 2011 the separation was 50.8% women and 49.2% men. The latest census, conducted on March 21, 2021, also shows a 6.1% increase in the number of households – from 23.3 million in 2011 to 24.8 million last year. Overall, the population of the two countries is the highest ever. However, the ONS notes that “population change in some areas may reflect how the coronavirus pandemic affected people’s choice of normal residence on the day of the census.”
