Sheffield: population and statistics
Sheffield has a population of 579,517 (2025) across 367.9 km², or 1,575 people per km². It ranks 9 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +4.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 579,517 residents
- 367.9 km²
- 1,575 people/km²
Sheffield in numbers
Population of Sheffield over time
Sheffield had 555,074 residents in 2015 and 579,517 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 555,036 |
| 2021 | 555,035 |
| 2022 | 565,685 |
| 2023 | 575,225 |
| 2024 | 580,235 |
| 2025 | 579,517 |
All indicators for Sheffield
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 | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 17.1% | 19.7% | 20.4% | ranked 280 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 17.3% | 18.0% | 17.4% | ranked 188 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 263,810 dwellings | 2,563,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 6 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 40.0% | 36.9% | 31.6% | ranked 86 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 17.4% | 17.3% | 18.1% | ranked 170 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 231,948 households | 193,754 | 61,440 | ranked 7 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 79.0% | 85.3% | 84.7% | ranked 216 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 21.0% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 97 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 58.6% | 63.1% | 67.3% | ranked 253 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 18.7% | 19.5% | 17.6% | ranked 127 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 22.6% | 17.3% | 14.3% | ranked 42 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £219,713 | £212,777 | £272,474 | ranked 254 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 2.8% | 3.6% | 2.2% | ranked 146 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 117 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 79.2% | 77.6% | 76.7% | ranked 107 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 7.3% | 6.5% | 7.8% | ranked 172 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 2.2% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 20,695 sites | 229,245 | 3,232,440 | ranked 20 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 35.7 per 1,000 | 40.4 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 286 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 17,310 businesses | 194,060 | 2,786,975 | ranked 23 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £37,885 | £35,917 | £38,490 | ranked 195 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 71.6% | 73.4% | 76.3% | ranked 282 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.4% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 70 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 29.2% | 24.3% | 18.5% | ranked 47 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 15 local authorities in Yorkshire and The Humber, Sheffield ranks 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 18.7% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Business sites (local units)”: higher than in 95% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 51,529 football pitches.
- 5.5 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Rotherham, 9.8 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Birmingham (1,176,960 residents), 107 km away.
Business sectors: Sheffield
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 trade18.7% ×1.2
- Professional, scientific and technical12.7% ×0.9
- Construction10.6% ×0.8
- Accommodation and food services9.0% ×1.3
- Administrative and support services7.4% ×0.9
- Health and social work6.5% ×1.1
- Manufacturing5.8% ×1.4
- Information and communication5.8% ×0.9
Where is Sheffield?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sheffield?
Sheffield has 579,517 residents (2025), ranking 9 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Sheffield?
Sheffield covers 367.9 km², with a density of 1,575 people per km².
Is the population of Sheffield growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Sheffield went from 555,074 to 579,517, a change of +4.4%.
Where is Sheffield?
Sheffield is in Yorkshire and The Humber (region). Latitude 53.417, longitude −1.500.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Sheffield?
In Sheffield, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 263,810 dwellings (2026), ranking 6 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Business sites (local units): what is the figure for Sheffield?
In Sheffield, “Business sites (local units)” stands at 20,695 sites (2026), ranking 20 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 6,830 sites.
Which local authorities border Sheffield?
The nearest to Sheffield are Rotherham (9.8 km), Barnsley (15 km), Chesterfield (19 km), North East Derbyshire (24 km), High Peak (24 km).