Region
East: local authorities in numbers
East has 45 local authorities and 6,613,801 residents across 19,132 km², or 346 people per km². Population: +8.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 6,613,801 residents
- 45 local authorities
- 19,132 km²
- 346 people/km²
Map and records: East
All local authorities in East
Click a column heading to sort the table.
| Local authority | Population | Population change over 10 years | Population density | Area | Share of residents aged 65 and over | Share of residents aged under 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 321,605 | +18.7% | 449.4 people/km² | 715.7 | 18.4% | 19.7% |
| East Suffolk | 250,106 | +4.0% | 198.3 people/km² | 1,261 | 29.6% | 15.1% |
| Luton | 236,380 | +8.6% | 5,453 people/km² | 43.4 | 11.7% | 22.5% |
| Peterborough | 224,757 | +12.2% | 654.5 people/km² | 343.4 | 14.5% | 22.2% |
| Colchester | 201,163 | +9.8% | 605.3 people/km² | 332.3 | 18.3% | 18.8% |
| Bedford | 196,398 | +15.4% | 412.2 people/km² | 476.4 | 17.4% | 19.7% |
| Basildon | 193,489 | +5.9% | 1,759 people/km² | 110.0 | 17.3% | 20.8% |
| Huntingdonshire | 191,941 | +9.3% | 210.4 people/km² | 912.5 | 21.0% | 17.8% |
| Chelmsford | 190,570 | +9.9% | 556.8 people/km² | 342.2 | 19.4% | 18.8% |
| West Suffolk | 189,407 | +7.5% | 183.0 people/km² | 1,035 | 21.3% | 17.8% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 185,214 | +3.4% | 4,445 people/km² | 41.7 | 19.7% | 18.6% |
| Thurrock | 181,664 | +9.0% | 1,109 people/km² | 163.8 | 13.7% | 22.0% |
| South Cambridgeshire | 174,641 | +12.7% | 193.7 people/km² | 901.6 | 20.0% | 19.3% |
| Braintree | 166,471 | +10.3% | 272.1 people/km² | 611.7 | 21.1% | 18.0% |
| Dacorum | 162,316 | +7.6% | 763.9 people/km² | 212.5 | 18.0% | 19.8% |
| Tendring | 159,060 | +12.4% | 473.0 people/km² | 336.3 | 29.7% | 15.7% |
| East Hertfordshire | 158,033 | +10.3% | 332.2 people/km² | 475.7 | 19.3% | 19.0% |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 156,943 | +3.3% | 109.0 people/km² | 1,440 | 27.0% | 16.0% |
| St Albans | 150,757 | +2.6% | 935.2 people/km² | 161.2 | 18.0% | 20.5% |
| South Norfolk | 150,396 | +15.7% | 165.7 people/km² | 907.6 | 25.0% | 17.2% |
| Cambridge | 149,872 | +12.1% | 3,682 people/km² | 40.7 | 11.8% | 13.6% |
| Breckland | 148,095 | +9.2% | 113.5 people/km² | 1,305 | 25.8% | 16.0% |
| Norwich | 145,676 | +5.1% | 3,735 people/km² | 39.0 | 15.4% | 15.2% |
| Broadland | 139,652 | +11.0% | 253.0 people/km² | 552.1 | 26.2% | 15.9% |
| Ipswich | 139,457 | −0.2% | 3,531 people/km² | 39.5 | 17.4% | 19.8% |
| Epping Forest | 138,394 | +5.8% | 408.3 people/km² | 339.0 | 20.4% | 18.4% |
| North Hertfordshire | 137,365 | +4.3% | 365.9 people/km² | 375.4 | 20.5% | 18.5% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 121,748 | +6.8% | 939.8 people/km² | 129.5 | 16.7% | 18.2% |
| Mid Suffolk | 113,047 | +14.5% | 129.8 people/km² | 871.1 | 25.8% | 15.7% |
| Hertsmere | 110,242 | +5.6% | 1,090 people/km² | 101.1 | 18.9% | 19.5% |
| Watford | 107,658 | +8.3% | 5,024 people/km² | 21.4 | 13.3% | 20.6% |
| Fenland | 105,930 | +5.9% | 193.9 people/km² | 546.5 | 23.5% | 17.2% |
| North Norfolk | 103,708 | +1.7% | 107.2 people/km² | 967.5 | 35.6% | 12.6% |
| Broxbourne | 103,130 | +6.0% | 2,004 people/km² | 51.5 | 17.5% | 19.7% |
| Great Yarmouth | 100,957 | +1.9% | 579.3 people/km² | 174.3 | 25.2% | 16.7% |
| Harlow | 98,543 | +12.2% | 3,227 people/km² | 30.5 | 14.7% | 21.6% |
| Babergh | 97,833 | +9.4% | 164.4 people/km² | 595.1 | 27.5% | 15.8% |
| Uttlesford | 96,762 | +14.3% | 150.9 people/km² | 641.1 | 21.8% | 18.8% |
| Three Rivers | 96,068 | +4.5% | 1,082 people/km² | 88.8 | 18.9% | 19.2% |
| East Cambridgeshire | 94,599 | +9.0% | 145.3 people/km² | 651.2 | 21.5% | 17.8% |
| Stevenage | 92,081 | +5.3% | 3,546 people/km² | 26.0 | 15.9% | 19.9% |
| Rochford | 90,760 | +7.7% | 543.2 people/km² | 167.1 | 23.4% | 17.7% |
| Castle Point | 90,613 | +2.0% | 2,028 people/km² | 44.7 | 25.9% | 17.2% |
| Brentwood | 80,104 | +4.5% | 523.1 people/km² | 153.1 | 20.3% | 18.9% |
| Maldon | 70,196 | +11.8% | 196.2 people/km² | 357.8 | 26.4% | 16.0% |
East compared with the UK
Population-weighted averages for rates; totals for counts.
| Indicator | East | the United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over | 20.3% | 19.4% |
| Share of residents aged under 16 | 18.4% | 17.7% |
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) | 2,888,720 dwellings | 27,429,300 dwellings |
| Dwellings built before 1940 | 23.4% | 34.9% |
| Dwellings built since 2000 | 21.0% | 18.6% |
| Households (Census 2021) | 65,170 households | 111,842 households |
| Households living in a house or bungalow | 81.7% | 77.6% |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette | 17.7% | 22.0% |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) | 66.1% | 62.3% |
| Households renting privately | 18.3% | 20.4% |
| Households in social housing | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| Average house price | £353,838 | £308,859 |
| House price change over 12 months | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Households without central heating | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Households heated by mains gas only | 70.3% | 73.9% |
| Households heated by electricity only | 9.5% | 8.6% |
| Households heated by oil only | 7.0% | 3.4% |
| Business sites (local units) | 315,875 sites | 3,232,440 sites |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents | 47.8 per 1,000 | 46.5 per 1,000 |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) | 276,720 businesses | 2,786,975 businesses |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) | £41,339 | £39,498 |
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 | 78.4% | 75.6% |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Households without a car or van | 16.9% | 23.5% |
Frequently asked questions
How many local authorities are there in East?
East has 45 local authorities. The most populous is Central Bedfordshire, with 321,605 residents.
What is the population of East?
East has 6,613,801 residents (2025), or 346 people per km².
Which local authority in East is growing fastest?
Central Bedfordshire has the fastest growth in East over 10 years: +18.7%.