West Yorkshire demographics.
West Yorkshire · Census 2023 · latest available data
A data-driven statistical profile of West 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 | Leeds | 463,006 | 492,554 | 536,321 |
| 2 | Bradford | 275,856 | 314,584 | 333,931 |
| 3 | Huddersfield | 123,797 | 137,461 | 141,692 |
| 4 | Wakefield | 85,131 | 88,180 | 97,852 |
| 5 | Halifax | 81,477 | 85,963 | 88,109 |
| 6 | Dewsbury | 55,089 | 60,122 | 63,722 |
| 7 | Keighley | 43,662 | 47,682 | 48,758 |
| 8 | Castleford | 36,909 | 39,712 | 45,351 |
| 9 | Batley | 41,880 | 43,460 | 44,505 |
| 10 | Pudsey | 31,444 | 31,745 | 34,863 |
| 11 | Brighouse | 31,869 | 33,286 | 33,160 |
| 12 | Pontefract | 28,250 | 29,305 | 32,978 |
| 13 | Morley | 27,736 | 29,949 | 32,545 |
| 14 | Shipley | 25,956 | 28,607 | 29,222 |
| 15 | Normanton | 19,913 | 21,000 | 21,978 |
| 16 | Ossett | 21,076 | 21,231 | 21,861 |
| 17 | Bingley | 18,774 | 21,149 | 21,325 |
| 18 | Rothwell | 20,727 | 20,972 | 20,968 |
| 19 | Mirfield | 18,390 | 19,330 | 19,612 |
| 20 | Liversedge | 16,691 | 17,425 | 17,526 |
| 21 | Baildon | 16,363 | 16,726 | 17,041 |
| 22 | Elland | 14,555 | 15,625 | 15,778 |
| 23 | East Ardsley | 15,163 | 15,023 | 15,243 |
| 24 | Garforth | 15,394 | 14,838 | 15,152 |
| 25 | Ilkley | 13,637 | 14,624 | 14,854 |
| 26 | Otley | 14,348 | 13,926 | 14,541 |
| 27 | Honley | 13,395 | 14,219 | 14,393 |
| 28 | Yeadon | 14,400 | 13,976 | 14,273 |
| 29 | Gomersal (/ Birkenshaw) | 12,122 | 13,727 | 13,961 |
| 30 | Heckmondwike | 11,506 | 12,882 | 13,364 |
| 31 | Todmorden | 12,536 | 12,723 | 12,968 |
| 32 | Guiseley | 10,830 | 11,676 | 12,450 |
| 33 | Wetherby | 11,154 | 10,772 | 11,712 |
| 34 | Featherstone | 10,988 | 10,349 | 11,651 |
| 35 | Cleckheaton | 10,071 | 11,212 | 11,613 |
| 36 | South Elmsall | 10,211 | 10,366 | 11,188 |
| 37 | Kippax | 10,422 | 10,083 | 10,302 |
| 38 | Horbury | 9,695 | 9,917 | 9,863 |
| 39 | Queensbury | 8,468 | 8,842 | 9,706 |
| 40 | Knottingley | 9,151 | 9,028 | 9,512 |
| 41 | Linthwaite (/ Slaithwaite) | 8,164 | 8,713 | 9,244 |
| 42 | Shelf (/ Northowram) | 8,696 | 9,330 | 9,191 |
| 43 | Hemsworth | 9,145 | 9,246 | 9,183 |
| 44 | South Kirkby | 8,215 | 8,533 | 8,874 |
| 45 | Silsden | 7,681 | 7,912 | 8,390 |
| 46 | Meltham | 7,382 | 7,836 | 8,330 |
| 47 | Allerton Bywater | 5,001 | 5,761 | 6,959 |
| 48 | Burley in Wharfedale | 6,139 | 6,772 | 6,815 |
| 49 | Rawdon | 5,861 | 5,672 | 6,744 |
| 50 | Crigglestone (/ Durkar) | 5,977 | 6,069 | 6,675 |
| 51 | Boston Spa | 5,647 | 5,741 | 6,363 |
| 52 | Upton | 6,070 | 5,874 | 6,333 |
| 53 | Ackworth Moor Top | 4,784 | 5,281 | 6,286 |
| 54 | Gildersome | 6,012 | 6,157 | 6,272 |
| 55 | Crofton | 5,734 | 5,557 | 6,128 |
| 56 | Menston | 4,697 | 5,059 | 5,897 |
| 57 | Haworth | 5,748 | 5,954 | 5,681 |
| 58 | Thornton | 4,923 | 5,403 | 5,409 |
| 59 | Drighlington | 4,843 | 5,175 | 5,278 |
| 60 | Hebden Bridge | 5,279 | 5,446 | 5,223 |
| 61 | Havercroft (/ Ryhill) | 4,731 | 5,150 | 5,205 |
| 62 | Steeton | 4,105 | 4,167 | 5,022 |
| 63 | Fitzwilliam (/ Kinsley) | 4,166 | 4,287 | 4,992 |
| 64 | Holmfirth | 4,243 | 4,995 | 4,978 |
| 65 | Lepton | 4,266 | 5,118 | 4,947 |
| 66 | Ripponden | 3,783 | 4,665 | 4,783 |
| 67 | Sowerby Bridge | 4,420 | 4,601 | 4,485 |
| 68 | Skelmanthorpe | 3,964 | 4,259 | 4,459 |
| 69 | Clayton West (/ Scissett) | 3,791 | 4,031 | 4,386 |
| 70 | Lofthouse (/ Robin Hood) | 3,540 | 4,003 | 4,181 |
| 71 | Holmfield | 3,766 | 4,040 | 4,147 |
| 72 | Kirkburton | 3,399 | 3,985 | 4,033 |
| 73 | Calverley | 3,622 | 3,806 | 3,987 |
| 74 | Mytholmroyd | 3,730 | 3,949 | 3,859 |
| 75 | Wilsden | 3,529 | 3,817 | 3,750 |
| 76 | Marsden | 3,499 | 3,889 | 3,692 |
| 77 | Oakworth | 3,544 | 3,804 | 3,683 |
| 78 | Bramhope | 3,288 | 3,382 | 3,592 |
| 79 | Kirkheaton | 3,808 | 3,647 | 3,496 |
| 80 | Mickletown | 2,609 | 2,962 | 3,358 |
| 81 | Walton | 3,377 | 3,231 | 3,258 |
| 82 | Addingham | 3,215 | 3,172 | 3,249 |
| 83 | Netherton | 3,234 | 3,330 | 3,150 |
| 84 | Cullingworth | 2,437 | 2,596 | 3,100 |
| 85 | Swillington | 3,303 | 3,209 | 3,075 |
| 86 | Denholme | 2,415 | 2,715 | 2,960 |
| 87 | Scholes (near Cleckheaton) | 2,583 | 2,661 | 2,900 |
| 88 | Holywell Green (/ Stainland) | 2,574 | 2,870 | 2,798 |
| 89 | Denby Dale | 2,396 | 2,736 | 2,737 |
| 90 | Shelley | 2,782 | 2,877 | 2,696 |
| 91 | Shepley | 2,460 | 2,567 | 2,516 |
| 92 | Middlestown (/ Overton) | 2,350 | 2,366 | 2,410 |
| 93 | Collingham | 2,284 | 2,330 | 2,363 |
| 94 | Netherton | 2,531 | 2,479 | 2,333 |
| 95 | Hall Green | 2,315 | 2,284 | 2,305 |
| 96 | Scholes | 2,403 | 2,266 | 2,269 |
| 97 | Barwick-in-Elmet | 2,280 | 2,229 | 2,178 |
| 98 | Sharlston | 2,221 | 2,144 | 2,166 |
| 99 | Luddenden Foot | 1,913 | 2,190 | 2,145 |
| 100 | Micklefield | 1,852 | 1,893 | 2,062 |
| 101 | Pool-in-Wharfedale | 1,446 | 1,935 | 1,992 |
| 102 | Oxenhope | 1,818 | 1,872 | 1,897 |
| 103 | Scholes (near Hade Edge) | 1,843 | 1,952 | 1,892 |
| 104 | Bardsey | 1,806 | 1,730 | 1,819 |
| 105 | Thorp Arch | 1,340 | 1,816 | 1,783 |
| 106 | Bramham | 1,755 | 1,650 | 1,762 |
| 107 | South Hiendley | 1,667 | 1,817 | 1,751 |
| 108 | Flockton | 1,168 | 1,368 | 1,732 |
| 109 | Streethouse | 1,315 | 1,609 | 1,691 |
| 110 | Scarcroft | 1,466 | 1,533 | 1,633 |
| 111 | Harden | 1,615 | 1,600 | 1,602 |
| 112 | Oakenshaw | 1,441 | 1,566 | 1,569 |
| 113 | Aberford | 1,376 | 1,503 | 1,551 |
| 114 | Shadwell | 1,338 | 1,352 | 1,459 |
| 115 | Emley | 1,449 | 1,497 | 1,434 |
| 116 | Thorner | 1,284 | 1,408 | 1,398 |
| 117 | Thorpe on the Hill | 602 | 934 | 1,232 |
| 118 | East Morton | 1,047 | 1,309 | 1,227 |
| 119 | Holmbridge | 1,136 | 1,280 | 1,216 |
| 120 | Darrington | 1,104 | 1,182 | 1,198 |
| 121 | Methley | 1,176 | 1,184 | 1,195 |
| 122 | Bottom Boat | 1,124 | 1,169 | 1,192 |
| 123 | Outlane | 1,078 | 1,216 | 1,172 |
| 124 | East Keswick | 1,224 | 1,146 | 1,147 |
| 125 | Grange Moor | 899 | 1,126 | 1,118 |
| 126 | Upperthong | 1,113 | 1,087 | 1,094 |
| 127 | Barkisland | 981 | 1,004 | 989 |
| 128 | Kirkhamgate | 1,002 | 992 | 952 |
| 129 | Low Ackworth | 966 | 954 | 918 |
| 130 | Carlton | 442 | 510 | 751 |
| 131 | High Ackworth | 614 | 667 | 743 |
| 132 | Scapegoat Hill | 721 | 819 | 739 |
| 133 | Heptonstall | 838 | 820 | 714 |
| 134 | Badsworth | 583 | 682 | 697 |
| 135 | Thorpe Audlin | 659 | 660 | 690 |
| 136 | Upper Denby | 704 | 715 | 668 |
| 137 | Upper Cumberworth | 631 | 673 | 663 |
| 138 | Coxley | 572 | 547 | 542 |
| 139 | Hade Edge | 406 | 421 | 530 |
— 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