Worthing: population and statistics
Worthing has a population of 113,844 (2025) across 32.5 km², or 3,501 people per km². It ranks 262 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +5.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 113,844 residents
- 32.5 km²
- 3,501 people/km²
Worthing in numbers
Population of Worthing over time
Worthing had 108,337 residents in 2015 and 113,844 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 111,064 |
| 2021 | 111,654 |
| 2022 | 111,993 |
| 2023 | 112,707 |
| 2024 | 113,515 |
| 2025 | 113,844 |
All indicators for Worthing
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 | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 23.3% | 20.2% | 20.4% | ranked 105 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 15.9% | 18.1% | 17.4% | ranked 275 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 52,160 dwellings | 4,201,530 | 27,429,300 | ranked 230 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 43.4% | 28.0% | 31.6% | ranked 62 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 10.6% | 19.8% | 18.1% | ranked 301 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 49,538 households | 72,553 | 61,440 | ranked 219 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 64.7% | 77.8% | 84.7% | ranked 282 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 35.3% | 21.5% | 14.8% | ranked 36 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 68.2% | 67.0% | 67.3% | ranked 138 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 22.0% | 19.2% | 17.6% | ranked 73 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 9.8% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 293 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £297,200 | £392,981 | £272,474 | ranked 156 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −3.9% | 0.5% | 2.2% | ranked 339 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.2% | ranked 73 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 76.7% | 74.6% | 76.7% | ranked 154 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 12.9% | 9.2% | 7.8% | ranked 26 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 3.2% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 4,715 sites | 472,260 | 3,232,440 | ranked 272 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 41.4 per 1,000 | 48.7 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 216 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 3,960 businesses | 412,075 | 2,786,975 | ranked 276 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £36,581 | £41,780 | £38,490 | ranked 239 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 88.8% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 3 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% | ranked 156 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Worthing | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 21.8% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 115 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 64 local authorities in South East, Worthing ranks 47 by population.
Employment rate, aged 16-64: 88.8% in Worthing, compared with an average of 79.1% in South East and 75.6% across the UK.
Households heated by oil only: 0.1% in Worthing, compared with an average of 3.2% in South East and 3.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 14.8% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Employment rate, aged 16-64”: higher than in 99% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings built since 2000”: lower than in 95% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,555 football pitches.
- 12.3 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Adur, 8.4 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Arun (172,326 residents), 11 km away.
Business sectors: Worthing
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 trade14.8% ×0.9
- Professional, scientific and technical14.3% ×1.0
- Construction13.9% ×1.1
- Information and communication9.2% ×1.5
- Health and social work8.1% ×1.4
- Accommodation and food services8.0% ×1.1
- Administrative and support services7.9% ×1.0
- Other service activities4.6% ×1.1
Where is Worthing?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Worthing?
Worthing has 113,844 residents (2025), ranking 262 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Worthing?
Worthing covers 32.5 km², with a density of 3,501 people per km².
Is the population of Worthing growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Worthing went from 108,337 to 113,844, a change of +5.1%.
Where is Worthing?
Worthing is in South East (region). Latitude 50.832, longitude −0.387.
Employment rate, aged 16-64: what is the figure for Worthing?
In Worthing, “Employment rate, aged 16-64” stands at 88.8% (2025-2026), ranking 3 of 347 local authorities; the UK median is 76.3%.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Worthing?
In Worthing, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 0.1% (2021), ranking 246 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Which local authorities border Worthing?
The nearest to Worthing are Adur (8.4 km), Arun (11 km), Brighton and Hove (16 km), Horsham (27 km), Mid Sussex (27 km).