Knowsley: population and statistics
Knowsley has a population of 163,723 (2025) across 86.5 km², or 1,893 people per km². It ranks 153 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +11.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 163,723 residents
- 86.5 km²
- 1,893 people/km²
Knowsley in numbers
Population of Knowsley over time
Knowsley had 147,300 residents in 2015 and 163,723 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 153,408 |
| 2021 | 154,978 |
| 2022 | 157,023 |
| 2023 | 159,191 |
| 2024 | 161,714 |
| 2025 | 163,723 |
All indicators for Knowsley
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 | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 17.7% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 260 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 19.8% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ranked 43 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 72,600 dwellings | 3,492,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 141 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 22.1% | 39.3% | 31.6% | ranked 260 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 19.7% | 16.5% | 18.1% | ranked 124 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 66,073 households | 116,581 | 61,440 | ranked 138 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 89.6% | 83.7% | 84.7% | ranked 66 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 10.1% | 16.0% | 14.8% | ranked 245 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 60.3% | 62.7% | 67.3% | ranked 241 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 14.3% | 19.4% | 17.6% | ranked 267 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 25.3% | 17.8% | 14.3% | ranked 27 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £188,527 | £227,208 | £272,474 | ranked 309 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 0.9% | 4.7% | 2.2% | ranked 232 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 99 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 83.4% | 78.6% | 76.7% | ranked 23 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 4.2% | 7.4% | 7.8% | ranked 288 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 4,330 sites | 319,350 | 3,232,440 | ranked 295 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 26.4 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 359 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 3,460 businesses | 272,085 | 2,786,975 | ranked 311 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £37,543 | £37,482 | £38,490 | ranked 206 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 71.8% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 277 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 73 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Knowsley | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 31.2% | 24.9% | 18.5% | ranked 40 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in North West, Knowsley ranks 22 by population.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: 26.4 per 1,000 in Knowsley, compared with an average of 41.1 per 1,000 in North West and 46.5 per 1,000 across the UK.
Households heated by mains gas only: 83.4% in Knowsley, compared with an average of 78.6% in North West and 73.9% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Construction, with 17.4% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Business sites per 1,000 residents”: lower than in 99% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by mains gas only”: higher than in 93% of local authorities.
- “Households in social housing”: higher than in 92% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 12,115 football pitches.
- 6.7 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Liverpool, 5.0 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Liverpool (507,915 residents), 5 km away.
Business sectors: Knowsley
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Construction17.4% ×1.4
- Wholesale and retail trade15.9% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services9.6% ×1.2
- Health and social work9.5% ×1.7
- Professional, scientific and technical8.8% ×0.6
- Transport and storage8.2% ×2.0
- Manufacturing6.2% ×1.5
- Accommodation and food services6.0% ×0.9
Where is Knowsley?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Knowsley?
Knowsley has 163,723 residents (2025), ranking 153 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Knowsley?
Knowsley covers 86.5 km², with a density of 1,893 people per km².
Is the population of Knowsley growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Knowsley went from 147,300 to 163,723, a change of +11.1%.
Where is Knowsley?
Knowsley is in North West (region). Latitude 53.439, longitude −2.851.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Knowsley?
In Knowsley, “Business sites per 1,000 residents” stands at 26.4 per 1,000 (2026), ranking 359 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 44.4 per 1,000.
Households heated by mains gas only: what is the figure for Knowsley?
In Knowsley, “Households heated by mains gas only” stands at 83.4% (2021), ranking 23 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 76.7%.
Which local authorities border Knowsley?
The nearest to Knowsley are Liverpool (5.0 km), St. Helens (7.2 km), Sefton (9.8 km), Wirral (12 km), Halton (13 km).