Oxford: population and statistics
Oxford has a population of 165,940 (2025) across 45.6 km², or 3,639 people per km². It ranks 148 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +4.9% between 2015 and 2025.
- 165,940 residents
- 45.6 km²
- 3,639 people/km²
Oxford in numbers
Population of Oxford over time
Oxford had 158,156 residents in 2015 and 165,940 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 160,064 |
| 2021 | 160,379 |
| 2022 | 164,237 |
| 2023 | 167,251 |
| 2024 | 167,827 |
| 2025 | 165,940 |
All indicators for Oxford
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 | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 12.3% | 20.2% | 20.4% | ranked 341 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 14.6% | 18.1% | 17.4% | ranked 334 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 64,010 dwellings | 4,201,530 | 27,429,300 | ranked 174 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 40.8% | 28.0% | 31.6% | ranked 80 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 19.4% | 19.8% | 18.1% | ranked 129 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 55,239 households | 72,553 | 61,440 | ranked 189 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 69.0% | 77.8% | 84.7% | ranked 271 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 30.7% | 21.5% | 14.8% | ranked 48 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 46.8% | 67.0% | 67.3% | ranked 296 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 32.2% | 19.2% | 17.6% | ranked 16 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 20.9% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 55 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £471,667 | £392,981 | £272,474 | ranked 45 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −2.3% | 0.5% | 2.2% | ranked 323 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.2% | ranked 86 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 75.7% | 74.6% | 76.7% | ranked 173 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 12.1% | 9.2% | 7.8% | ranked 35 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 3.2% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 6,445 sites | 472,260 | 3,232,440 | ranked 196 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 38.8 per 1,000 | 48.7 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 254 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 4,970 businesses | 412,075 | 2,786,975 | ranked 218 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £43,289 | £41,780 | £38,490 | ranked 82 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 81.7% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 48 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.6% | 3.1% | 3.2% | ranked 238 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Oxford | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 32.1% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 38 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 64 local authorities in South East, Oxford ranks 16 by population.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: 12.3% in Oxford, compared with an average of 20.2% in South East and 19.4% across the UK.
Households renting privately: 32.2% in Oxford, compared with an average of 19.2% in South East and 20.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 17.8% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: lower than in 95% of local authorities.
- “Households renting privately”: higher than in 95% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,387 football pitches.
- 12.8 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is West Oxfordshire, 17.1 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Buckinghamshire (584,296 residents), 30 km away.
Business sectors: Oxford
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 technical17.8% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade14.2% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services11.3% ×1.6
- Information and communication8.5% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services8.5% ×1.0
- Health and social work8.2% ×1.4
- Construction6.0% ×0.5
- Education5.0% ×1.9
Where is Oxford?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Oxford?
Oxford has 165,940 residents (2025), ranking 148 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Oxford?
Oxford covers 45.6 km², with a density of 3,639 people per km².
Is the population of Oxford growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Oxford went from 158,156 to 165,940, a change of +4.9%.
Where is Oxford?
Oxford is in South East (region). Latitude 51.753, longitude −1.239.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Oxford?
In Oxford, “Share of residents aged 65 and over” stands at 12.3% (2025), ranking 341 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 20.4%.
Households renting privately: what is the figure for Oxford?
In Oxford, “Households renting privately” stands at 32.2% (2021), ranking 16 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 17.6%.
Which local authorities border Oxford?
The nearest to Oxford are West Oxfordshire (17 km), South Oxfordshire (17 km), Cherwell (22 km), Vale of White Horse (25 km), Buckinghamshire (30 km).