Census 2021: First results show Sandwell’s population has grown significantly over past decade

The first results of the 2021 census are in – and they show Sandwell has seen its population swell over the last decade.

The census takes place every 10 years, with every household in the UK required to take part.

The latest snapshot of England and Wales was captured on March 21 2021.

Now the first results have been released – and there’s been a large rise in the number of people living in Sandwell.

On census day, 341,800 people were living in the area – up 11% from 308,063 in 2011, when the last census was carried out.

This also means the population density has grown to 3,996 usual residents per square kilometre, up from 3,601 in 2011.

The census is crucial for the UK’s statisticians to understand how our population is changing, and plays a vital role in how our public services and government operate.

It shows the balance of men and women in the area has stayed the same since 2011 – Sandwell’s population is 49.2% male and 50.8% female, close to what it was 10 years ago.

It also shows the area has seen a relative drop in both young children and the elderly – a decade ago the population was made up of 13.9% under-10s and 15.2% over-65s, but this had changed to 13.7% and 14.5% respectively by 2021.

Across England and Wales, the total population grew 6.3% over the past decade, from 56,075,912 in 2011 to 59,597,300 last year.

This included a 6.2% increase in the West Midlands, where the population rose to 5,950,700 from 5,601,847 in 2011.

There were 24.7 million households in England and Wales on census day 2021, up from 23.4 million in 2011, with an average of 2.4 people in each household – the same as in 2011.

Historic populations of Sandwell:

1981: 306,9931991: 290,0912001: 282,9032011: 308,0632021: 341,800

Historic populations of the West Midlands:

1981: 5,098,6091991: 5,150,1872001: 5,267,3082011: 5,601,8472021: 5,950,700