Shropshire: population and statistics
Shropshire has a population of 333,162 (2025) across 3,197.3 km², or 104 people per km². It ranks 44 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +7.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 333,162 residents
- 3,197.3 km²
- 104 people/km²
Shropshire in numbers
Population of Shropshire over time
Shropshire had 310,751 residents in 2015 and 333,162 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 321,054 |
| 2021 | 324,669 |
| 2022 | 327,098 |
| 2023 | 329,211 |
| 2024 | 331,751 |
| 2025 | 333,162 |
All indicators for Shropshire
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 | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 27.1% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 38 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 15.4% | 18.9% | 17.4% | ranked 301 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 153,360 dwellings | 2,655,660 | 27,429,300 | ranked 30 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 30.2% | 32.0% | 31.6% | ranked 175 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 21.8% | 17.6% | 18.1% | ranked 89 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 139,579 households | 150,800 | 61,440 | ranked 29 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 90.3% | 83.4% | 84.7% | ranked 54 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 8.9% | 16.2% | 14.8% | ranked 271 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 69.5% | 63.2% | 67.3% | ranked 107 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 17.5% | 18.1% | 17.6% | ranked 162 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 13.0% | 18.5% | 14.3% | ranked 212 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £275,232 | £251,154 | £272,474 | ranked 177 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −1.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | ranked 302 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.2% | ranked 117 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 57.7% | 75.3% | 76.7% | ranked 290 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 7.1% | 7.9% | 7.8% | ranked 179 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 15.0% | 2.9% | 0.9% | ranked 25 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 18,080 sites | 255,340 | 3,232,440 | ranked 29 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 54.3 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 71 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 15,920 businesses | 219,540 | 2,786,975 | ranked 26 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £36,991 | £37,210 | £38,490 | ranked 227 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 79.3% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 100 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.4% | 5.2% | 3.2% | ranked 278 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Shropshire | West Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 13.8% | 21.9% | 18.5% | ranked 240 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 30 local authorities in West Midlands, Shropshire ranks 5 by population.
Households heated by oil only: 15.0% in Shropshire, compared with an average of 2.9% in West Midlands and 3.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 17.7% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Registered businesses (enterprises)”: higher than in 93% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by oil only”: higher than in 92% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 91% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 447,807 football pitches.
- 2.7 times less dense than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Telford and Wrekin, 18.0 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Birmingham (1,176,960 residents), 63 km away.
Business sectors: Shropshire
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing17.7% ×4.0
- Wholesale and retail trade15.3% ×1.0
- Construction11.5% ×0.9
- Professional, scientific and technical11.5% ×0.8
- Accommodation and food services6.7% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services6.2% ×0.8
- Manufacturing4.8% ×1.1
- Health and social work4.7% ×0.8
Where is Shropshire?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Shropshire?
Shropshire has 333,162 residents (2025), ranking 44 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Shropshire?
Shropshire covers 3,197.3 km², with a density of 104 people per km².
Is the population of Shropshire growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Shropshire went from 310,751 to 333,162, a change of +7.2%.
Where is Shropshire?
Shropshire is in West Midlands (region). Latitude 52.708, longitude −2.754.
Registered businesses (enterprises): what is the figure for Shropshire?
In Shropshire, “Registered businesses (enterprises)” stands at 15,920 businesses (2026), ranking 26 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 5,780 businesses.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Shropshire?
In Shropshire, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 15.0% (2021), ranking 25 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Which local authorities border Shropshire?
The nearest to Shropshire are Telford and Wrekin (18 km), South Staffordshire (39 km), Wrexham (42 km), Stafford (44 km), Wolverhampton (45 km).