Breckland: population and statistics
Breckland has a population of 148,095 (2025) across 1,305.1 km², or 114 people per km². It ranks 184 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +9.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 148,095 residents
- 1,305.1 km²
- 114 people/km²
Breckland in numbers
Population of Breckland over time
Breckland had 135,667 residents in 2015 and 148,095 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 140,408 |
| 2021 | 142,160 |
| 2022 | 143,566 |
| 2023 | 145,188 |
| 2024 | 146,784 |
| 2025 | 148,095 |
All indicators for Breckland
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.8% | 20.3% | 20.4% | ranked 60 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 16.0% | 18.4% | 17.4% | ranked 268 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 66,700 dwellings | 2,888,720 | 27,429,300 | ranked 167 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 17.4% | 23.4% | 31.6% | ranked 290 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 24.9% | 21.0% | 18.1% | ranked 43 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 60,358 households | 65,170 | 61,440 | ranked 163 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 92.5% | 81.7% | 84.7% | ranked 16 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 7.0% | 17.7% | 14.8% | ranked 299 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 67.8% | 66.1% | 67.3% | ranked 146 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 18.1% | 18.3% | 17.6% | ranked 141 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 14.1% | 15.5% | 14.3% | ranked 167 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £268,905 | £353,838 | £272,474 | ranked 186 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 0.6% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 243 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 49.5% | 70.3% | 76.7% | ranked 305 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 9.6% | 9.5% | 7.8% | ranked 92 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 23.7% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 7 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 6,200 sites | 315,875 | 3,232,440 | ranked 203 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 41.9 per 1,000 | 47.8 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 212 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 5,300 businesses | 276,720 | 2,786,975 | ranked 201 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £34,399 | £41,339 | £38,490 | ranked 309 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 79.0% | 78.4% | 76.3% | ranked 110 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.6% | 3.3% | 3.2% | ranked 238 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Breckland | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 13.3% | 16.9% | 18.5% | ranked 251 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 45 local authorities in East, Breckland ranks 22 by population.
Households heated by oil only: 23.7% in Breckland, compared with an average of 7.0% in East and 3.4% across the UK.
Households living in a flat or maisonette: 7.0% in Breckland, compared with an average of 17.7% in East and 22.0% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 16.8% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Households heated by oil only”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households living in a flat or maisonette”: lower than in 95% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 182,787 football pitches.
- 2.5 times less dense than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is South Norfolk, 23.0 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is East Suffolk (250,106 residents), 60 km away.
Business sectors: Breckland
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade16.8% ×1.0
- Construction14.5% ×1.2
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing11.0% ×2.5
- Professional, scientific and technical10.3% ×0.7
- Administrative and support services7.3% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services6.4% ×0.9
- Manufacturing6.3% ×1.5
- Transport and storage4.4% ×1.1
Where is Breckland?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Breckland?
Breckland has 148,095 residents (2025), ranking 184 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Breckland?
Breckland covers 1,305.1 km², with a density of 114 people per km².
Is the population of Breckland growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Breckland went from 135,667 to 148,095, a change of +9.2%.
Where is Breckland?
Breckland is in East (region). Latitude 52.633, longitude 0.983.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Breckland?
In Breckland, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 23.7% (2021), ranking 7 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Households living in a flat or maisonette: what is the figure for Breckland?
In Breckland, “Households living in a flat or maisonette” stands at 7.0% (2021), ranking 299 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 14.8%.
Which local authorities border Breckland?
The nearest to Breckland are South Norfolk (23 km), Broadland (25 km), Norwich (26 km), North Norfolk (40 km), King's Lynn and West Norfolk (42 km).