Isles of Scilly: population and statistics
Isles of Scilly has a population of 2,299 (2025) across 16.3 km², or 141 people per km². It ranks 361 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +2.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 2,299 residents
- 16.3 km²
- 141 people/km²
- 51 m
Isles of Scilly in numbers
Population of Isles of Scilly over time
Isles of Scilly had 2,238 residents in 2015 and 2,299 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,030 |
| 2021 | 2,271 |
| 2022 | 2,352 |
| 2023 | 2,465 |
| 2024 | 2,383 |
| 2025 | 2,299 |
All indicators for Isles of Scilly
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 | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 26.8% | 23.2% | 20.4% | ranked 45 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 13.7% | 16.2% | 17.4% | ranked 349 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 1,160 dwellings | 2,721,250 | 27,429,300 | ranked 318 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 44.8% | 31.7% | 31.6% | ranked 54 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 13.8% | 20.6% | 18.1% | ranked 251 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 939 households | 143,797 | 61,440 | ranked 318 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 75.3% | 80.6% | 84.7% | ranked 245 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 24.6% | 18.6% | 14.8% | ranked 71 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 46.0% | 66.9% | 67.3% | ranked 297 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 36.6% | 19.7% | 17.6% | ranked 6 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 17.3% | 13.3% | 14.3% | ranked 95 of 318 |
Energy
| Indicator | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 17.5% | 1.7% | 1.2% | ranked 1 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 6.4% | 67.1% | 76.7% | ranked 318 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 39.7% | 10.3% | 7.8% | ranked 1 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 10.4% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 44 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 245 sites | 278,765 | 3,232,440 | ranked 361 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 106.6 per 1,000 | 47.2 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 5 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 215 businesses | 237,935 | 2,786,975 | ranked 361 of 361 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 1.5% | 2.7% | 3.2% | ranked 359 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Isles of Scilly | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 41.8% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 18 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 27 local authorities in South West, Isles of Scilly ranks 27 by population.
Households without central heating: 17.5% in Isles of Scilly, compared with an average of 1.7% in South West and 1.5% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Accommodation and food services, with 19.6% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South West for “Households renting privately”.
- Number 1 in South West for “Households without central heating”.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: lower than in 100% of local authorities.
- “Households without central heating”: higher than in 100% of local authorities.
- “Business sites (local units)”: lower than in 100% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,286 football pitches.
- 2.0 times less dense than the UK average.
Business sectors: Isles of Scilly
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Accommodation and food services19.6% ×2.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing17.4% ×3.9
- Wholesale and retail trade10.9% ×0.7
- Construction8.7% ×0.7
- Transport and storage8.7% ×2.1
- Administrative and support services8.7% ×1.1
- Real estate4.3% ×1.0
- Health and social work4.3% ×0.8
Where is Isles of Scilly?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Isles of Scilly?
Isles of Scilly has 2,299 residents (2025), ranking 361 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Isles of Scilly?
Isles of Scilly covers 16.3 km², with a density of 141 people per km².
Is the population of Isles of Scilly growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Isles of Scilly went from 2,238 to 2,299, a change of +2.7%.
Where is Isles of Scilly?
Isles of Scilly is in South West (region). Latitude 49.920, longitude −6.300.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Isles of Scilly?
In Isles of Scilly, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 1,160 dwellings (2026), ranking 318 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Households without central heating: what is the figure for Isles of Scilly?
In Isles of Scilly, “Households without central heating” stands at 17.5% (2021), ranking 1 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 1.2%.
Which local authorities border Isles of Scilly?
The nearest to Isles of Scilly are Cornwall (123 km), Plymouth (163 km), West Devon (175 km), Torridge (180 km), South Hams (194 km).