Wigan: population and statistics
Wigan has a population of 347,089 (2025) across 188.2 km², or 1,845 people per km². It ranks 36 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 347,089 residents
- 188.2 km²
- 1,845 people/km²
Wigan in numbers
Population of Wigan over time
Wigan had 320,864 residents in 2015 and 347,089 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 327,850 |
| 2021 | 329,796 |
| 2022 | 334,538 |
| 2023 | 339,755 |
| 2024 | 344,245 |
| 2025 | 347,089 |
All indicators for Wigan
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 | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 19.5% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 216 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 18.2% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ranked 135 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 154,590 dwellings | 3,492,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 28 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 34.1% | 39.3% | 31.6% | ranked 134 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 15.6% | 16.5% | 18.1% | ranked 210 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 143,105 households | 116,581 | 61,440 | ranked 28 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 90.9% | 83.7% | 84.7% | ranked 40 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 9.1% | 16.0% | 14.8% | ranked 265 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 66.8% | 62.7% | 67.3% | ranked 167 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 15.9% | 19.4% | 17.6% | ranked 214 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 17.0% | 17.8% | 14.3% | ranked 99 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £194,551 | £227,208 | £272,474 | ranked 297 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 3.9% | 4.7% | 2.2% | ranked 97 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 83.9% | 78.6% | 76.7% | ranked 16 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 5.2% | 7.4% | 7.8% | ranked 250 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 10,900 sites | 319,350 | 3,232,440 | ranked 83 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 31.4 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 333 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 9,265 businesses | 272,085 | 2,786,975 | ranked 83 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £37,377 | £37,482 | £38,490 | ranked 212 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 72.1% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 274 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.6% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 120 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Wigan | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 21.3% | 24.9% | 18.5% | ranked 118 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in North West, Wigan ranks 5 by population.
Households heated by mains gas only: 83.9% in Wigan, compared with an average of 78.6% in North West and 73.9% across the UK.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: 31.4 per 1,000 in Wigan, compared with an average of 41.1 per 1,000 in North West and 46.5 per 1,000 across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 19.6% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Households heated by mains gas only”: higher than in 95% of local authorities.
- “Business sites per 1,000 residents”: lower than in 92% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 91% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 26,353 football pitches.
- 6.5 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is St. Helens, 12.3 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Manchester (588,256 residents), 28 km away.
Business sectors: Wigan
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 trade19.6% ×1.2
- Construction16.8% ×1.3
- Professional, scientific and technical10.9% ×0.8
- Administrative and support services7.4% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services7.2% ×1.0
- Transport and storage6.1% ×1.5
- Health and social work6.1% ×1.1
- Manufacturing5.3% ×1.2
Where is Wigan?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Wigan?
Wigan has 347,089 residents (2025), ranking 36 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Wigan?
Wigan covers 188.2 km², with a density of 1,845 people per km².
Is the population of Wigan growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Wigan went from 320,864 to 347,089, a change of +8.2%.
Where is Wigan?
Wigan is in North West (region). Latitude 53.533, longitude −2.617.
Households heated by mains gas only: what is the figure for Wigan?
In Wigan, “Households heated by mains gas only” stands at 83.9% (2021), ranking 16 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 76.7%.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Wigan?
In Wigan, “Business sites per 1,000 residents” stands at 31.4 per 1,000 (2026), ranking 333 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 44.4 per 1,000.
Which local authorities border Wigan?
The nearest to Wigan are St. Helens (12 km), Bolton (13 km), Chorley (13 km), West Lancashire (14 km), Warrington (16 km).