List of ceremonial counties of England by population

See List of non-metropolitan counties of England by population for a list that does not include metropolitan counties or unitary authorities.

This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population - 2003 mid-year estimates from the Office for National Statistics, unrounded figures published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Entitlement Notification Reports for Revenue Support Grants [1].

By population

Rank	County	Population	Area (in km²)	Density (people/km²)
1	Greater London	7,379,825	1,580	4,699
2	West Midlands	2,578,387	902	2,860
3	Greater Manchester	2,530,956	1,276	1,982
4	West Yorkshire	2,095,862	2,029	1,033
5	Hampshire	1,660,818	3,769	441
6	Essex	1,629,647	3,670	443
7	Kent	1,599,912	3,736	428
8	Lancashire	1,429,212	2,903	465
9	Merseyside	1,364,212	645	2,115
10	South Yorkshire	1,272,609	1,552	820
11	Devon	1,087,688	6,564	162
12	Tyne and Wear	1,083,211	540	2,006
13	Surrey	1,064,575	1,663	637
14	Staffordshire	1,048,973	2,713	386
15	Hertfordshire	1,040,925	1,643	634
16	North Yorkshire	1,037,285	8,654	120
17	Nottinghamshire	1,029,293	2,160	477
18	Cheshire	990,323	2,343	423
19	Lincolnshire	977,727	6,959	141
20	Derbyshire	976,212	2,625	371
21	Leicestershire	903,160	2,156	419
22	Somerset	869,835	4,171	208
23	County Durham	868,813	2,676	319
24	Gloucestershire	815,263	3,150	259
25	Norfolk	810,695	5,371	151
26	Berkshire	803,657	1,262	636
27	West Sussex	758,647	1,991	381
28	East Sussex	747,540	1,792	416
29	Cambridgeshire	729,812	3,389	215
30	Dorset	699,428	2,653	264
31	Buckinghamshire	693,675	1,874	370
32	Suffolk	678,074	3,801	178
33	Northamptonshire	642,708	2,364	272
34	Wiltshire	622,021	3,485	178
35	Oxfordshire	615,204	2,605	236
36	Bedfordshire	573,765	1,235	464
37	East Riding of Yorkshire	569,195	2,479	229
38	Worcestershire	549,286	1,741	316
39	Warwickshire	519,301	1,975	263
40	Cornwall	513,527	3,563	144
41	Cumbria	489,829	6,768	72
42	Shropshire	447,033	3,487	128
43	Bristol	391,525	110	3,577
44	Northumberland	309,237	5,013	62
45	Herefordshire	176,912	2,180	81
46	Isle of Wight	136,252	380	358
47	Rutland	35,651	382	91
48	City of London	8,043	2.9	2,773

Rank	County	Population	Area (in km²)	Density (people/km²)
1	Greater London	7,379,825	1,580	4,699
2	Bristol	391,525	110	3,577
3	West Midlands	2,578,387	902	2,860
4	City of London	8,043	2.9	2,773
5	Merseyside	1,364,212	645	2,115
6	Tyne and Wear	1,083,211	540	2,006
7	Greater Manchester	2,530,956	1,276	1,982
8	West Yorkshire	2,095,862	2,029	1,033
9	South Yorkshire	1,272,609	1,552	820
10	Surrey	1,064,575	1,663	637
11	Berkshire	803,657	1,262	636
12	Hertfordshire	1,040,925	1,643	634
13	Nottinghamshire	1,029,293	2,160	477
14	Lancashire	1,429,212	2,903	465
15	Bedfordshire	573,765	1,235	464
16	Essex	1,629,647	3,670	443
17	Hampshire	1,660,818	3,769	441
18	Kent	1,599,912	3,736	428
19	Cheshire	990,323	2,343	423
20	Leicestershire	903,160	2,156	419
21	East Sussex	747,540	1,792	416
22	Staffordshire	1,048,973	2,713	386
23	West Sussex	758,647	1,991	381
24	Derbyshire	976,212	2,625	371
25	Buckinghamshire	693,675	1,874	370
26	Isle of Wight	136,252	380	358
27	County Durham	868,813	2,676	319
28	Worcestershire	549,286	1,741	316
29	Northamptonshire	642,708	2,364	272
30	Dorset	699,428	2,653	264
31	Warwickshire	519,301	1,975	263
32	Gloucestershire	815,263	3,150	259
33	Oxfordshire	615,204	2,605	236
34	East Riding of Yorkshire	569,195	2,479	229
35	Cambridgeshire	729,812	3,389	215
36	Somerset	869,835	4,171	208
37	Suffolk	678,074	3,801	178
38	Wiltshire	622,021	3,485	178
39	Devon	1,087,688	6,564	162
40	Norfolk	810,695	5,371	151
41	Cornwall	513,527	3,563	144
42	Lincolnshire	977,727	6,959	141
43	Shropshire	447,033	3,487	128
44	North Yorkshire	1,037,285	8,654	120
45	Rutland	35,651	382	91
46	Herefordshire	176,912	2,180	81
47	Cumbria	489,829	6,768	72
48	Northumberland	309,237	5,013	62