Suffolk demographics.
Suffolk · Census 2023 · latest available data
A data-driven statistical profile of Suffolk — 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 | Ipswich | 128,139 | 145,299 | 151,562 |
| 2 | Lowestoft | 67,413 | 69,562 | 71,327 |
| 3 | Bury St Edmunds | 35,744 | 41,382 | 41,291 |
| 4 | Haverhill | 21,919 | 26,846 | 26,710 |
| 5 | Felixstowe | 23,921 | 23,564 | 24,213 |
| 6 | Sudbury | 20,307 | 22,338 | 23,912 |
| 7 | Stowmarket | 15,530 | 19,547 | 21,534 |
| 8 | Newmarket | 16,946 | 18,757 | 18,864 |
| 9 | Kesgrave | 10,325 | 15,191 | 14,948 |
| 10 | Woodbridge | 9,774 | 10,170 | 10,144 |
| 11 | Beccles | 9,516 | 9,896 | 9,809 |
| 12 | Mildenhall | 8,656 | 8,854 | 9,676 |
| 13 | Brandon | 8,256 | 9,145 | 9,225 |
| 14 | Hadleigh | 7,125 | 8,150 | 8,641 |
| 15 | Leiston | 5,416 | 5,643 | 5,919 |
| 16 | Red Lodge | 1,323 | 3,572 | 5,769 |
| 17 | Needham Market | 4,906 | 4,860 | 5,050 |
| 18 | Bungay | 4,895 | 5,127 | 5,008 |
| 19 | Halesworth | 4,637 | 4,726 | 4,927 |
| 20 | Saxmundham | 2,714 | 3,644 | 4,777 |
| 21 | Lakenheath | 4,159 | 4,369 | 4,567 |
| 22 | Elmswell | 3,359 | 3,950 | 4,451 |
| 23 | Kessingland | 4,211 | 4,327 | 4,239 |
| 24 | Beck Row | 3,103 | 3,116 | 4,126 |
| 25 | Little Eriswell | 4,309 | 2,606 | 4,117 |
| 26 | Long Melford | 3,433 | 3,518 | 3,898 |
| 27 | Framlingham | 2,628 | 2,904 | 3,834 |
| 28 | Trimley St Mary | 3,672 | 3,665 | 3,738 |
| 29 | Glemsford | 3,286 | 3,382 | 3,693 |
| 30 | Worlingham | 3,297 | 3,745 | 3,621 |
| 31 | Rendlesham | 1,634 | 3,013 | 3,189 |
| 32 | Claydon | 2,979 | 3,253 | 3,144 |
| 33 | Thurston | 2,898 | 2,952 | 3,013 |
| 34 | Capel St Mary | 2,876 | 2,734 | 2,991 |
| 35 | Martlesham Heath | 3,011 | 2,895 | 2,731 |
| 36 | Aldeburgh | 2,793 | 2,466 | 2,422 |
| 37 | Reydon | 2,400 | 2,389 | 2,369 |
| 38 | Bramford | 2,101 | 2,023 | 2,336 |
| 39 | Stanton | 2,073 | 2,019 | 2,312 |
| 40 | Ixworth | 2,233 | 2,365 | 2,299 |
| 41 | Debenham | 1,926 | 2,210 | 2,296 |
| 42 | Clare | 1,975 | 2,028 | 2,278 |
| 43 | Wickham Market | 2,204 | 2,156 | 2,233 |
| 44 | East Bergholt | 2,189 | 2,252 | 2,210 |
| 45 | Eye | 2,000 | 2,154 | 2,210 |
| 46 | Great Blakenham | 917 | 1,079 | 2,192 |
| 47 | Holbrook | 2,317 | 2,180 | 2,138 |
| 48 | Brantham | 2,095 | 2,055 | 2,084 |
| 49 | Exning | 1,651 | 1,627 | 2,049 |
| 50 | Stowupland | 1,709 | 1,748 | 2,019 |
| 51 | Martlesham | 1,333 | 1,462 | 1,978 |
| 52 | Barrow | 1,429 | 1,677 | 1,960 |
| 53 | Great Barton | 1,778 | 1,861 | 1,845 |
| 54 | Rickinghall (/ Botesdale) | 1,638 | 1,796 | 1,841 |
| 55 | Woolpit | 1,742 | 1,753 | 1,841 |
| 56 | Kedington | 1,545 | 1,566 | 1,778 |
| 57 | Trimley St Martin | 1,548 | 1,561 | 1,727 |
| 58 | Acton | 1,635 | 1,639 | 1,666 |
| 59 | Melton | 1,524 | 1,556 | 1,608 |
| 60 | Bacton (/ Cotton) | 1,572 | 1,588 | 1,569 |
| 61 | Great Bricett | 1,505 | 1,880 | 1,518 |
| 62 | Grundisburgh | 1,288 | 1,375 | 1,423 |
| 63 | Shotley Gate | 1,532 | 1,511 | 1,416 |
| 64 | Great Waldingfield | 1,272 | 1,256 | 1,375 |
| 65 | Cock (/ End) | 131 | 980 | 1,344 |
| 66 | Haughley | 1,248 | 1,285 | 1,317 |
| 67 | Sutton Common | 787 | 1,425 | 1,260 |
| 68 | Walsham le Willows | 1,122 | 1,213 | 1,257 |
| 69 | Kirton | 1,086 | 1,146 | 1,244 |
| 70 | Lavenham | 1,156 | 1,116 | 1,225 |
| 71 | Stradbroke | 910 | 1,089 | 1,191 |
| 72 | Gislingham | 878 | 1,040 | 1,171 |
| 73 | Corton | 1,149 | 1,099 | 1,132 |
| 74 | Kentford | 540 | 578 | 1,125 |
| 75 | Bildeston | 1,011 | 1,054 | 1,096 |
| 76 | Mendlesham | 826 | 884 | 1,018 |
| 77 | Elmsett | 926 | 963 | 1,002 |
| 78 | Laxfield | 872 | 910 | 1,002 |
| 79 | Barningham | 928 | 956 | 996 |
| 80 | Longfield Green | 1,080 | 1,294 | 990 |
| 81 | Leavenheath | 1,085 | 1,039 | 981 |
| 82 | Palgrave | 777 | 905 | 977 |
| 83 | Nayland | 926 | 938 | 964 |
| 84 | Fornham St Martin | 996 | 988 | 955 |
| 85 | Southwold | 1,458 | 1,098 | 950 |
| 86 | Chelmondiston | 918 | 938 | 922 |
| 87 | Barnby (/ North Cove) | 954 | 928 | 907 |
| 88 | Risby | 829 | 866 | 890 |
| 89 | Wrentham | 750 | 830 | 877 |
| 90 | Oak Hill | 264 | 621 | 862 |
| 91 | West Row | 900 | 795 | 859 |
| 92 | Sicklesmere | 830 | 849 | 848 |
| 93 | Great Finborough | 755 | 808 | 844 |
| 94 | Worlingworth | 671 | 802 | 839 |
| 95 | Barton Mills | 736 | 846 | 833 |
| 96 | Boxford | 731 | 712 | 833 |
| 97 | Hundon | 799 | 757 | 817 |
| 98 | Sproughton | 727 | 772 | 803 |
| 99 | Fornham All Saints | 408 | 442 | 801 |
| 100 | Old Newton | 673 | 828 | 797 |
| 101 | Coldfair Green | 883 | 852 | 794 |
| 102 | Yoxford | 695 | 726 | 783 |
| 103 | Blundeston | 924 | 732 | 780 |
| 104 | Horringer | 682 | 780 | 762 |
| 105 | Stratford St Mary | 703 | 701 | 754 |
| 106 | Bardwell | 586 | 643 | 753 |
| 107 | Gazeley | 692 | 686 | 737 |
| 108 | Thorndon | 571 | 648 | 725 |
| 109 | Moulton | 652 | 672 | 714 |
| 110 | Otley | 665 | 676 | 711 |
| 111 | Somersham | 713 | 733 | 705 |
| 112 | Hollesley | 563 | 583 | 695 |
| 113 | Hintlesham | 564 | 609 | 693 |
| 114 | Chedburgh | 648 | 597 | 690 |
| 115 | Beyton | 656 | 713 | 686 |
| 116 | Rushmere St Andrew | 650 | 614 | 675 |
| 117 | Snape | 623 | 611 | 669 |
| 118 | Lawshall | 626 | 669 | 662 |
| 119 | Great Green | 556 | 574 | 655 |
| 120 | Coddenham | 521 | 620 | 626 |
| 121 | Kelsale | 557 | 581 | 618 |
| 122 | Yaxley | 426 | 588 | 596 |
| 123 | Ufford | 556 | 556 | 593 |
| 124 | Drinkstone Green | 494 | 548 | 589 |
| 125 | Orford | 690 | 713 | 589 |
| 126 | Wickhambrook | 550 | 554 | 587 |
| 127 | Heckfield Green | 565 | 613 | 586 |
| 128 | Stutton | 556 | 599 | 582 |
| 129 | Cavendish | 509 | 585 | 569 |
| 130 | Pakenham | 533 | 592 | 569 |
| 131 | Henley | 546 | 573 | 567 |
| 132 | Mellis | 417 | 519 | 563 |
| 133 | Culford | 620 | 578 | 559 |
| 134 | Bucklesham | 542 | 526 | 554 |
| 135 | Wenhaston | 490 | 475 | 554 |
| 136 | Wetherden | 557 | 543 | 552 |
| 137 | Shotley | 590 | 560 | 550 |
| 138 | Newton | 497 | 495 | 549 |
| 139 | Washbrook | 519 | 517 | 549 |
| 140 | Bentley | 478 | 518 | 547 |
| 141 | Fressingfield | 514 | 535 | 535 |
| 142 | Holton | 532 | 531 | 528 |
| 143 | Holywell Row | 277 | 355 | 518 |
| 144 | Hessett | 487 | 464 | 515 |
| 145 | Assington | 371 | 402 | 514 |
| 146 | Tostock | 414 | 472 | 510 |
| 147 | Occold | 490 | 519 | 507 |
| 148 | Monks Eleigh | 425 | 505 | 502 |
| 149 | Wattisfield | 436 | 475 | 500 |
— 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