Merton: population and statistics
Merton has a population of 218,891 (2025) across 37.6 km², or 5,818 people per km². It ranks 102 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +2.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 218,891 residents
- 37.6 km²
- 5,818 people/km²
Merton in numbers
Population of Merton over time
Merton had 213,791 residents in 2015 and 218,891 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 217,101 |
| 2021 | 215,426 |
| 2022 | 216,028 |
| 2023 | 218,697 |
| 2024 | 220,020 |
| 2025 | 218,891 |
All indicators for Merton
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 | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 13.6% | 12.6% | 20.4% | ranked 327 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 18.2% | 17.8% | 17.4% | ranked 135 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 87,910 dwellings | 3,863,730 | 27,429,300 | ranked 103 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 63.2% | 50.9% | 31.6% | ranked 6 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 12.1% | 18.5% | 18.1% | ranked 280 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 81,726 households | 111,538 | 61,440 | ranked 102 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 60.4% | 47.1% | 84.7% | ranked 294 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 39.6% | 52.8% | 14.8% | ranked 25 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 56.7% | 47.2% | 67.3% | ranked 269 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 29.1% | 29.9% | 17.6% | ranked 30 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 14.2% | 22.7% | 14.3% | ranked 165 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £615,890 | £555,175 | £272,474 | ranked 12 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −0.9% | −2.8% | 2.2% | ranked 290 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 2.0% | 2.2% | 1.2% | ranked 51 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 77.6% | 70.7% | 76.7% | ranked 139 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 9.8% | 12.6% | 7.8% | ranked 86 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 12,445 sites | 611,345 | 3,232,440 | ranked 65 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 56.9 per 1,000 | 67.0 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 52 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 11,275 businesses | 552,505 | 2,786,975 | ranked 61 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £50,844 | £46,514 | £38,490 | ranked 12 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 75.9% | 74.7% | 76.3% | ranked 182 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.5% | 5.5% | 3.2% | ranked 64 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Merton | London | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 33.0% | 41.3% | 18.5% | ranked 32 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 33 local authorities in London, Merton ranks 25 by population.
Dwellings built before 1940: 63.2% in Merton, compared with an average of 50.9% in London and 34.9% across the UK.
Households heated by oil only: 0.1% in Merton, compared with an average of 0.1% in London and 3.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 17.7% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Dwellings built before 1940”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)”: higher than in 97% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 5,269 football pitches.
- 20.5 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Sutton, 4.4 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Wandsworth (339,859 residents), 6 km away.
Business sectors: Merton
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Professional, scientific and technical17.7% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade14.5% ×0.9
- Construction13.6% ×1.1
- Administrative and support services9.6% ×1.2
- Information and communication9.2% ×1.5
- Health and social work5.6% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services5.4% ×0.8
- Transport and storage5.2% ×1.2
Where is Merton?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Merton?
Merton has 218,891 residents (2025), ranking 102 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Merton?
Merton covers 37.6 km², with a density of 5,818 people per km².
Is the population of Merton growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Merton went from 213,791 to 218,891, a change of +2.4%.
Where is Merton?
Merton is in London (region). Latitude 51.401, longitude −0.196.
Dwellings built before 1940: what is the figure for Merton?
In Merton, “Dwellings built before 1940” stands at 63.2% (2026), ranking 6 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 31.6%.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Merton?
In Merton, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 0.1% (2021), ranking 246 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Which local authorities border Merton?
The nearest to Merton are Sutton (4.4 km), Wandsworth (6.2 km), Croydon (7.5 km), Kingston upon Thames (7.6 km), Lambeth (8.6 km).