Wirral: population and statistics
Wirral has a population of 329,896 (2025) across 160.9 km², or 2,050 people per km². It ranks 45 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +2.9% between 2015 and 2025.
- 329,896 residents
- 160.9 km²
- 2,050 people/km²
Wirral in numbers
Population of Wirral over time
Wirral had 320,714 residents in 2015 and 329,896 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 320,249 |
| 2021 | 320,631 |
| 2022 | 322,411 |
| 2023 | 325,228 |
| 2024 | 328,209 |
| 2025 | 329,896 |
All indicators for Wirral
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 | Wirral | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 23.0% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 110 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 17.5% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ranked 173 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Wirral | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 152,670 dwellings | 3,492,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 31 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 47.7% | 39.3% | 31.6% | ranked 40 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 8.9% | 16.5% | 18.1% | ranked 312 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 143,252 households | 116,581 | 61,440 | ranked 27 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 82.4% | 83.7% | 84.7% | ranked 180 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 17.5% | 16.0% | 14.8% | ranked 133 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 65.6% | 62.7% | 67.3% | ranked 188 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 18.9% | 19.4% | 17.6% | ranked 123 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 15.4% | 17.8% | 14.3% | ranked 128 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £221,849 | £227,208 | £272,474 | ranked 248 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 6.7% | 4.7% | 2.2% | ranked 31 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Wirral | 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) | 84.3% | 78.6% | 76.7% | ranked 9 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 4.8% | 7.4% | 7.8% | ranked 263 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Wirral | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 10,525 sites | 319,350 | 3,232,440 | ranked 86 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 31.9 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 328 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 8,870 businesses | 272,085 | 2,786,975 | ranked 88 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £38,010 | £37,482 | £38,490 | ranked 191 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Wirral | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 73.9% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 227 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.5% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 132 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Wirral | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 25.1% | 24.9% | 18.5% | ranked 77 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in North West, Wirral ranks 6 by population.
Dwellings built since 2000: 8.9% in Wirral, compared with an average of 16.5% in North West and 18.6% across the UK.
Households heated by mains gas only: 84.3% in Wirral, compared with an average of 78.6% in North West and 73.9% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 17.4% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Dwellings built since 2000”: lower than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by mains gas only”: higher than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Business sites per 1,000 residents”: lower than in 91% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 22,538 football pitches.
- 7.2 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Sefton, 5.4 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Liverpool (507,915 residents), 7 km away.
Business sectors: Wirral
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 trade17.4% ×1.1
- Professional, scientific and technical14.0% ×1.0
- Construction12.0% ×1.0
- Health and social work8.4% ×1.5
- Accommodation and food services8.2% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services7.8% ×1.0
- Other service activities5.6% ×1.4
- Manufacturing4.9% ×1.1
Where is Wirral?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Wirral?
Wirral has 329,896 residents (2025), ranking 45 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Wirral?
Wirral covers 160.9 km², with a density of 2,050 people per km².
Is the population of Wirral growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Wirral went from 320,714 to 329,896, a change of +2.9%.
Where is Wirral?
Wirral is in North West (region). Latitude 53.397, longitude −3.012.
Dwellings built since 2000: what is the figure for Wirral?
In Wirral, “Dwellings built since 2000” stands at 8.9% (2026), ranking 312 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 18.1%.
Households heated by mains gas only: what is the figure for Wirral?
In Wirral, “Households heated by mains gas only” stands at 84.3% (2021), ranking 9 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 76.7%.
Which local authorities border Wirral?
The nearest to Wirral are Sefton (5.4 km), Liverpool (6.7 km), Knowsley (12 km), St. Helens (19 km), Halton (19 km).