List of English cities by population
Categories: England-related lists
This is a list of the largest cities and towns of England ordered by population. The populations are 2001 census figures from the Office for National Statistics, using the Key Statistics for Urban Areas figures [1], that attempt to divorce the populations of towns and cities from the Local Authority district(s) that they are contained within.
These figures are not the population of City Councils, for these see List of English districts by population. In some examples where the Local Authority has very limited boundaries the population of some outside suburbs has been included; in other cases where the Local Authority has very generously-drawn boundaries the population of rural areas within the boundary has been excluded.
These figures, on the other hand, should also not be confused with the population of conurbations. The original ONS statistics were calculated and presented in that format; but in this list urban areas and urban sub-divisions recognised as towns with a population greater than 100,000 have been extracted and listed seperately. Thus the Greater Manchester conurbation has a far larger population than that accredited to Manchester here; this list counts towns such as Bolton, Oldham and Stockport separately.
This system has not, however, been followed with respect to London; London Boroughs have not been extracted and their population is counted under Greater London. This internal inconsistancy in its tabulation explains why the list shows such a steep drop-off after London. The actual City of London only has a 2001 census population of 7,185 but is recognised by the world as the larger Local Authority area known as Greater London made up of 31 London Boroughs and the two cites of London and Westminster.
See also:
List of English districts by population -
List of English counties by population -
List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population -
List of English districts by area -
List of English districts by ethnic diversity
| Rank
| District
| Population
| Type
| Ceremonial county
|
| 1
| London
| 8,278,251
| City *
| Greater London
|
| 2
| Birmingham
| 970,892
| City
| West Midlands
|
| 3
| Liverpool
| 469,017
| City
| Merseyside
|
| 4
| Leeds
| 443,247
| City
| West Yorkshire
|
| 5
| Sheffield
| 439,866
| City
| South Yorkshire
|
| 6
| Bristol
| 420,556
| City
| Bristol
|
| 7
| Manchester
| 394,269
| City
| Greater Manchester
|
| 8
| Leicester
| 330,574
| City
| Leicestershire
|
| 9
| Coventry
| 303,475
| City
| West Midlands
|
| 10
| Kingston upon Hull
| 301,416
| City
| East Riding of Yorkshire
|
| 11
| Bradford
| 293,717
| City
| West Yorkshire
|
| 12
| Stoke on Trent
| 259,252
| City
| Staffordshire
|
| 13
| Wolverhampton
| 251,462
| City
| West Midlands
|
| 14
| Nottingham
| 249,584
| City
| Nottinghamshire
|
| 15
| Plymouth
| 243,795
| City
| Devon
|
| 16
| Southampton
| 234,224
| City
| Hampshire
|
| 17
| Reading
| 232,662
| Town
| Berkshire
|
| 18
| Derby
| 229,407
| City
| Derbyshire
|
| 19
| Dudley
| 194,919
| Town
| West Midlands
|
| 20
| Newcastle upon Tyne
| 189,863
| City
| Tyne and Wear
|
| 21
| Northampton
| 189,474
| Town
| Northamptonshire
|
| 22
| Portsmouth
| 187,056
| City
| Hampshire
|
| 23
| Luton
| 185,543
| Town
| Bedfordshire
|
| 24
| Preston
| 184,836
| City
| Lancashire
|
| 25
| Milton Keynes
| 184,506
| Town
| Buckinghamshire
|
| 26
| Sunderland
| 177,739
| City
| Tyne and Wear
|
| 27
| Norwich
| 174,047
| City
| Norfolk
|
| 28
| Walsall
| 170,994
| Town
| West Midlands
|
| 29
| Bournemouth
| 167,527
| Town
| Dorset
|
| 30
| Southend on Sea
| 160,257
| Town
| Essex
|
| 31
| Swindon
| 155,432
| Town
| Wiltshire
|
| 32
| Huddersfield
| 146,234
| Town
| West Yorkshire
|
| 33
| Poole
| 144,800
| Town
| Dorset
|
| 34
| Oxford
| 143,016
| City
| Oxfordshire
|
| 35
| Middlesbrough
| 142,691
| Town
| North Yorkshire
|
| 36
| Blackpool
| 142,283
| Town
| Lancashire
|
| 37
| Bolton
| 139,403
| Town
| Greater Manchester
|
| 38
| Ipswich
| 138,718
| Town
| Suffolk
|
| 39
| Telford
| 138,241
| Town
| Shropshire
|
| 40
| York
| 137,505
| City
| North Yorkshire
|
| 41
| West Bromwich
| 136,940
| Town
| West Midlands
|
| 42
| Peterborough
| 136,292
| City
| Cambridgeshire
|
| 43
| Stockport
| 136,082
| Town
| Greater Manchester
|
| 44
| Brighton
| 134,293
| City (as "Brighton and Hove")
| East Sussex
|
| 45
| Slough
| 126,276
| Town
| Berkshire
|
| 46
| Gloucester
| 123,205
| City
| Gloucestershire
|
| 47
| Rotherham
| 117,262
| Town
| South Yorkshire
|
| 48
| Cambridge
| 113,442
| City
| Cambridgeshire
|
| 49
| Exeter
| 106,772
| City
| Devon
|
| 50
| Eastbourne
| 106,562
| Town
| East Sussex
|
| 51
| Sutton Coldfield
| 105,452
| Town
| West Midlands
|
| 52
| Blackburn
| 105,085
| Town
| Lancashire
|
| 53
| Colchester
| 104,390
| Town
| Essex
|
| 54
| Oldham
| 103,544
| Town
| Greater Manchester
|
| 55
| St Helens
| 102,629
| Town
| Merseyside
|
| 56
| Crawley
| 100,547
| Town
| West Sussex
|