South Yorkshire demographics.
South Yorkshire · Census 2023 · latest available data
A data-driven statistical profile of South Yorkshire — town populations, census figures, and key demographic indicators drawn from the latest available official data.
Population
67,736,802
World share: 0.84 %
Median age
40.1
Global rank: #21
Urban population
85.5 %
57,900,076 people
Density
280 / km²
People per km²
Fertility rate
1.57
Births per woman
- 01 / Population
Who lives here, and how that is changing.
Headline population counts, density and household structure, with the six-year growth trend.
- Population basics
- Total population
- 67,736,8022023
- Population density
- 280 / km²UK average
- Yearly change
- 0.34 %227,866
- Urban population
- 85.5 %57,900,076
- Net migration
- 165,790Annual net
- World population
- 0.84 %8,045,311,447
- Population trend
Total resident population in thousands. A rising line means net growth from births and inward migration.
- 02 / Age & gender
The shape of the population pyramid.
Age band distribution split by gender, with dependency and vital statistics.
- Age pyramid
Share of the total population in each age band, split by gender - wide middle bands indicate a strong working-age base.
- Vital statistics
- Median age
- 39.4 yrs40.2 yrs
- Dependency ratio
- 58.456.9
- Male
- 49.3%49.0%
- Female
- 50.7%51.0%
- Aged 65+
- 16.4%18.4%
- 03 / Housing & households
Tenure, dwelling type and household composition.
Census 2021 housing indicators for the area, benchmarked against England.
- Tenure & conditions
- Home ownership
- 61.0%62.5%
- Social rented
- 17.0%17.1%
- Private rented
- 22.0%20.4%
- Overcrowded households
- 6.1%8.4%
- No central heating
- 1.3%1.5%
- Property type mix
Composition of the housing stock by build type, as a share of all dwellings.
- Tenure split
How households occupy their homes - the owned versus rented balance drives local market liquidity.
- 04 / Employment & economy
Where the jobs and the output are.
Labour market headlines and the sector composition of local employment.
- Labour market
- Economically active
- 76.2%75.7%
- Unemployed
- 3.4%3.5%
- Full-time employees
- 42.1%41.6%
- Self-employed
- 11.8%12.4%
- Students (economically active)
- 5.6%5.2%
- Retired
- 20.9%21.6%
- Top employment sectors
Share of total employment by industry - a concentrated profile signals exposure to one sector's cycle.
- 05 / Education & qualifications
Attainment and the local skills base.
School performance and the qualification profile of working-age residents.
- Attainment & schools
- Level 4+ qualification
- 40.2%33.9%
- No qualifications
- 16.0%18.1%
- Apprenticeship
- 5.1%5.3%
- Full-time students 16+
- 8.4%7.9%
- Schoolchildren aged 5–15
- 12.6%12.4%
- Qualification levels
Highest qualification held by residents aged 16+. Level 4+ covers degree-level and above.
- 06 / Health & wellbeing
Life expectancy, access and deprivation.
Population health outcomes alongside primary care capacity and deprivation ranking.
- Health indicators
- Very good health
- 48.6%48.5%
- Good health
- 33.1%33.7%
- Bad or very bad health
- 5.8%5.2%
- Disabled (day-to-day limited)
- 18.2%17.3%
- Provides unpaid care
- 9.1%8.9%
- Life expectancy (male)
- 79.1 yrs79.4 yrs
- Life expectancy (female)
- 82.9 yrs83.1 yrs
- Healthy life expectancy
- 62.4 yrs63.1 yrs
- IMD decile
- 5 of 10-
- Deprivation
5
IMD decile out of 10 (1 = most deprived). The United Kingdom shows variation across regions, with pockets of both high affluence and concentrated deprivation.
- 07 / Ethnicity, language & religion
The cultural make-up of the area.
Census-based breakdowns of ethnic group, country of birth, language and religion.
- Ethnic group
Share of residents by broad census ethnic group.
- Religion
Stated religion at the last census, as a share of residents.
- Origin & language
- Born in the UK
- 83.6%83.2%
- Born outside the UK
- 16.4%16.8%
- English as main language
- 94.2%91.1%
- Cannot speak English well
- 1.4%1.9%
- 08 / Transport & commuting
How people move around.
Commuting modes, journey times, car ownership and network connectivity.
- Mode of travel to work
Primary commute mode for working residents, including those who mainly work from home.
- Network & journey times
- Average commute
- 29 min28 min
- No car or van
- 24.0%23.5%
- 2+ cars or vans
- 34.0%33.1%
- Work mainly from home
- 17.0%21.0%
- Car ownership
Households by number of cars or vans available.
— 09 / Political & administrative
Who governs, and how engaged residents are.
Administrative structure, council tax levels, political control and turnout.
— Governance
- Parliamentary constituencies
- 12
- Council type
- Metropolitan / two-tier
- Council tax (Band D)
- £2,148
- Political control
- Labour majority
- General election turnout
- 62.4%
- Local election turnout
- 31.8%
— 10 / Crime & safety
Recorded crime and its composition.
Police.uk recorded offences, normalised per 1,000 residents and split by offence type.
— Headline rates
- Crime rate per 1,000
- 94.689.7
- Police force
- West Yorkshire Police—
- Year-on-year change
- -2.8%-1.4%
— Crime type breakdown
Share of all recorded offences by category over the last 12 months.
— 11 / Environment & climate
Green space, air quality and climate risk.
Environmental quality indicators and exposure to flooding across the area.
— Environmental indicators
- Green space coverage
- 38.4%40.1%
- NO₂ (annual mean)
- 21 µg/m³18 µg/m³
- PM2.5 (annual mean)
- 9.4 µg/m³9.1 µg/m³
- Area at flood risk
- 6.2%8.0%
- Annual rainfall
- 812 mm838 mm
- Sunshine hours
- 1,4101,493
— 12 / UK Cities
Population of major UK cities.
Top 10 UK cities by population, sourced from the latest available census and administrative data.
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 7,556,900 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 984,333 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 864,122 |
| 4 | Nottingham | 729,977 |
| 5 | Sheffield | 685,368 |
| 6 | Bristol | 617,280 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 591,620 |
| 8 | Leicester | 508,916 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 464,990 |
| 10 | Leeds | 455,123 |
— 12b / County Towns
Town populations within the county.
Built-up area populations across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census years.
| # | Town | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | 457,336 | 495,453 | 500,552 |
| 2 | Doncaster | 76,068 | 84,103 | 87,457 |
| 3 | Rotherham | 69,255 | 71,213 | 71,542 |
| 4 | Barnsley | 63,430 | 66,945 | 71,422 |
| 5 | Wickersley (/ Bramley) | 22,253 | 24,826 | 24,659 |
| 6 | Chapeltown (/ High Green) | 22,699 | 22,672 | 22,185 |
| 7 | Rawmarsh | 18,210 | 18,498 | 18,908 |
| 8 | Adwick le Street | 18,300 | 18,830 | 18,331 |
| 9 | Wath-upon-Dearne | 13,354 | 14,239 | 16,964 |
| 10 | Wombwell | 13,116 | 14,940 | 16,755 |
| 11 | Maltby | 17,094 | 16,688 | 16,316 |
| 12 | Swinton | 15,374 | 15,250 | 15,919 |
| 13 | Mexborough | 14,620 | 15,113 | 15,554 |
| 14 | Hoyland | 14,753 | 15,467 | 15,539 |
| 15 | Darton | 14,592 | 14,524 | 15,017 |
| 16 | Swallownest (/ Aston) | 13,660 | 14,824 | 14,904 |
| 17 | Armthorpe | 12,628 | 14,457 | 14,163 |
| 18 | Dunscroft (/ Hatfield) | 13,890 | 14,326 | 13,993 |
| 19 | New Rossington (/ Rossington) | 13,256 | 13,537 | 13,920 |
| 20 | Kirk Sandall (/ Edenthorpe) | 12,933 | 13,016 | 13,083 |
| 21 | Scawthorpe (/ Cusworth) | 13,169 | 13,269 | 13,019 |
| 22 | Cudworth (/ Shafton) | 11,267 | 12,289 | 12,470 |
| 23 | Thorne | 11,228 | 11,679 | 12,306 |
| 24 | Bentley | 11,535 | 11,875 | 12,048 |
| 25 | Conisbrough | 11,370 | 11,731 | 11,464 |
| 26 | Warmsworth | 11,398 | 10,959 | 11,323 |
| 27 | Dinnington | 9,374 | 10,482 | 10,961 |
| 28 | Royston | 9,375 | 10,069 | 10,757 |
| 29 | Thurnscoe | 8,804 | 8,356 | 9,133 |
| 30 | Worsbrough | 8,826 | 8,762 | 8,832 |
| 31 | Brinsworth | 8,950 | 8,789 | 8,761 |
| 32 | Penistone | 6,865 | 7,584 | 8,530 |
| 33 | Ecclesfield (/ Grenoside) | 8,124 | 8,584 | 8,190 |
| 34 | Sprotbrough | 7,586 | 7,742 | 7,548 |
| 35 | Barugh Green (/ Redbrook) | 6,669 | 7,014 | 7,545 |
| 36 | Goldthorpe | 6,264 | 6,564 | 7,491 |
| 37 | Bolton Upon Dearne | 6,683 | 7,136 | 7,444 |
| 38 | Stocksbridge | 7,476 | 7,296 | 7,263 |
| 39 | Darfield | 7,142 | 6,904 | 7,215 |
| 40 | Kiveton Park | 6,111 | 6,702 | 7,103 |
| 41 | North Anston | 6,863 | 6,604 | 6,610 |
| 42 | Thurcroft | 4,702 | 5,115 | 6,101 |
| 43 | Stainforth | 5,976 | 6,022 | 6,007 |
| 44 | Dodworth | 5,742 | 5,900 | 5,977 |
| 45 | Finningley | 3,475 | 4,129 | 5,921 |
| 46 | Thrybergh (/ Dalton) | 6,195 | 5,791 | 5,857 |
| 47 | Deepcar | 5,840 | 5,773 | 5,648 |
| 48 | Askern | 5,035 | 5,159 | 5,431 |
| 49 | Waverley (/ Catcliffe) | 2,095 | 2,442 | 5,342 |
| 50 | Moorends | 4,807 | 5,023 | 5,195 |
| 51 | Grimethorpe | 3,739 | 4,672 | 5,068 |
| 52 | Tickhill | 5,112 | 4,992 | 4,913 |
| 53 | Brampton | 3,190 | 4,314 | 4,617 |
| 54 | Denaby Main | 3,991 | 4,203 | 4,309 |
| 55 | Thorpe Hesley | 4,609 | 4,427 | 4,150 |
| 56 | Whiston | 4,131 | 4,035 | 3,939 |
| 57 | Greasbrough | 4,030 | 3,974 | 3,856 |
| 58 | Bawtry | 3,204 | 3,573 | 3,410 |
| 59 | Birdwell | 2,989 | 3,423 | 3,360 |
| 60 | Treeton | 2,514 | 3,189 | 3,274 |
| 61 | Oughtibridge | 2,997 | 3,082 | 3,128 |
| 62 | Brierley | 2,233 | 2,595 | 2,713 |
| 63 | South Anston | 2,585 | 2,505 | 2,527 |
| 64 | Great Houghton | 2,261 | 2,475 | 2,487 |
| 65 | Norton | 2,111 | 2,384 | 2,306 |
| 66 | Hatfield Woodhouse | 1,482 | 2,131 | 2,206 |
| 67 | Carlton | 2,113 | 2,088 | 2,126 |
| 68 | Campsall | 1,997 | 1,940 | 1,878 |
| 69 | Barnburgh (/ Harlington) | 1,979 | 1,924 | 1,850 |
| 70 | Branton | 1,758 | 1,683 | 1,822 |
| 71 | Hemingfield | 1,554 | 1,781 | 1,817 |
| 72 | Harthill | 1,728 | 1,684 | 1,728 |
| 73 | Woodsetts | 1,802 | 1,746 | 1,691 |
| 74 | Silkstone | 1,783 | 1,764 | 1,682 |
| 75 | Arksey | 1,616 | 1,673 | 1,579 |
| 76 | Jump | 1,070 | 1,312 | 1,423 |
| 77 | Wharncliffe Side | 1,375 | 1,355 | 1,385 |
| 78 | Todwick | 1,316 | 1,302 | 1,355 |
| 79 | Auckley | 1,570 | 1,434 | 1,336 |
| 80 | Worrall | 1,055 | 1,245 | 1,320 |
| 81 | Silkstone Common | 1,171 | 1,389 | 1,278 |
| 82 | Millhouse Green | 841 | 1,139 | 1,250 |
| 83 | Thurgoland | 1,091 | 1,216 | 1,241 |
| 84 | Toll Bar | 971 | 1,226 | 1,212 |
| 85 | Oxspring | 1,048 | 1,225 | 1,196 |
| 86 | Wadworth | 1,229 | 1,137 | 1,156 |
| 87 | Hoylandswaine | 776 | 814 | 1,038 |
| 88 | Thurlstone | 1,023 | 1,008 | 1,004 |
| 89 | Laughton en le Morthen | 941 | 971 | 974 |
| 90 | Upper Tankersley | 739 | 850 | 914 |
| 91 | Cawthorne | 852 | 893 | 900 |
| 92 | Blaxton | 842 | 841 | 852 |
| 93 | Braithwell | 804 | 804 | 846 |
| 94 | Hellaby | 886 | 825 | 780 |
| 95 | Ingbirchworth | 400 | 460 | 730 |
| 96 | Highlane | 639 | 695 | 650 |
| 97 | Austerfield | 571 | 536 | 551 |
— 13 / English Regions
Regional population comparison.
Population figures for English regions across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census years.
| Region | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 4,172,174 | 4,533,222 | 4,880,054 |
| East of England | 5,388,140 | 5,846,965 | 6,335,074 |
| North East England | 2,515,442 | 2,596,886 | 2,647,013 |
| North West England | 6,729,764 | 7,052,177 | 7,417,397 |
| South East England | 8,000,645 | 8,634,750 | 9,278,065 |
| South West England | 4,928,434 | 5,288,935 | 5,701,186 |
| West Midlands | 5,267,308 | 5,601,847 | 5,950,757 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 4,964,833 | 5,283,733 | 5,480,777 |
— Data sources
- ONS — population, age, ethnicity, housing
- Nomis — employment, earnings, qualifications
- Census 2021 (Nomis) — area vs England comparisons
- Police.uk — crime data
- MHCLG — Index of Multiple Deprivation
- Postcodes.io / GeoNames — boundary mapping