Reading: population and statistics
Reading has a population of 183,762 (2025) across 40.4 km², or 4,550 people per km². It ranks 134 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 183,762 residents
- 40.4 km²
- 4,550 people/km²
Reading in numbers
Population of Reading over time
Reading had 169,220 residents in 2015 and 183,762 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 173,879 |
| 2021 | 173,371 |
| 2022 | 176,479 |
| 2023 | 180,350 |
| 2024 | 182,809 |
| 2025 | 183,762 |
All indicators for Reading
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 | Reading | 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) | 18.1% | 18.1% | 17.4% | ranked 143 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Reading | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 77,890 dwellings | 4,201,530 | 27,429,300 | ranked 126 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 37.1% | 28.0% | 31.6% | ranked 102 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 22.1% | 19.8% | 18.1% | ranked 86 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 67,683 households | 72,553 | 61,440 | ranked 129 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 66.4% | 77.8% | 84.7% | ranked 276 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 33.4% | 21.5% | 14.8% | ranked 43 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 51.7% | 67.0% | 67.3% | ranked 284 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 31.9% | 19.2% | 17.6% | ranked 18 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 16.1% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 120 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £349,550 | £392,981 | £272,474 | ranked 102 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −1.2% | 0.5% | 2.2% | ranked 298 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Reading | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 2.1% | 1.3% | 1.2% | ranked 42 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 71.9% | 74.6% | 76.7% | ranked 223 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 15.7% | 9.2% | 7.8% | ranked 9 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 3.2% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Reading | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 8,230 sites | 472,260 | 3,232,440 | ranked 147 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 44.8 per 1,000 | 48.7 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 173 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 6,720 businesses | 412,075 | 2,786,975 | ranked 155 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £40,700 | £41,780 | £38,490 | ranked 126 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Reading | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 81.2% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 56 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% | ranked 73 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Reading | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 28.4% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 52 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 64 local authorities in South East, Reading ranks 10 by population.
Households heated by electricity only: 15.7% in Reading, compared with an average of 9.2% in South East and 8.6% across the UK.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: 12.3% in Reading, compared with an average of 20.2% in South East and 19.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 15.7% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Households heated by electricity only”: higher than in 97% of local authorities.
- “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 5,657 football pitches.
- 16.0 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Wokingham, 10.7 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Hillingdon (326,671 residents), 36 km away.
Business sectors: Reading
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 trade15.7% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical13.3% ×1.0
- Information and communication13.0% ×2.1
- Administrative and support services9.5% ×1.2
- Construction9.0% ×0.7
- Accommodation and food services7.0% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.8% ×1.9
- Health and social work5.5% ×1.0
Where is Reading?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Reading?
Reading has 183,762 residents (2025), ranking 134 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Reading?
Reading covers 40.4 km², with a density of 4,550 people per km².
Is the population of Reading growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Reading went from 169,220 to 183,762, a change of +8.6%.
Where is Reading?
Reading is in South East (region). Latitude 51.454, longitude −0.973.
Households heated by electricity only: what is the figure for Reading?
In Reading, “Households heated by electricity only” stands at 15.7% (2021), ranking 9 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 7.8%.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Reading?
In Reading, “Share of residents aged 65 and over” stands at 12.3% (2025), ranking 341 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 20.4%.
Which local authorities border Reading?
The nearest to Reading are Wokingham (11 km), Bracknell Forest (16 km), Surrey Heath (20 km), Windsor and Maidenhead (21 km), Hart (21 km).