Census results 2021 UK: how have England and Wales populations changed - when are Scotland results out?

The results of the 2021 census have been revealed, showing a change to the make up of the UK.

Citizens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of the UK took part in the census last year, while Scottish citizens took part in the census in 2022.

New ONS data has shown a change to the population in the past deacde, when the last survey took place.

Here’s what the results show about the UK.

How has the population changed in England and Wales?

From 2011 until 2021, the population of England and Wales grew by more than 3.5 million people, marking a 6% rise.

This marks one of the biggest rises in census history.

The growth in population was notable in one demographic - people 65 and over - meaning that the UK now has more older people than ever before.

One sixth of the UK population are aged 65 and over, with around 11.1 million people in this demographic, up 2.2% from 2011.

The area with the biggest increase in older people was Richmond in North Yorkshire.

On the flip side, the population of children aged 15 and under grew since 2011, but the proportion has slightly decreased since the last census.

Data shows that every region in both England and Wales grew.

The east of England had the highest rates of rising population, with areas such as Bedford, Dartfort and Tower Hamlets having more than a 15% increase in people.

Tower Hamlets is also the most densely-populated area in the UK, with 15,695 people per square kilometre.

However, some large towns did see a decrease, including the London boroughs of Chelsea, Kensington, Canden and Westminster, as well as cities such as Sunderland and Swansea.

When combined with Northern Ireland firgure and predicited figures from the Scottish 2022 census, the current UK population is estimated to be 66,966,400.

The results have also revealed that England is the second most populated country in Europe, behind the Netherlands.

More data will be released in a staggered timeline, with topics including ethnicity, religion, housing and education.

How has the population changes in Northern Ireland?

Census results from Northern Ireland were released last month, and showed that 1,903,100 people currently reside in the country.

This is a 5% increase from 2011, and marks the highest population ever recorded in the country.

Further details, including data on the religious makeup of the country is expected to be published in autumn.

When will results of the Scottish census be revealed?

The census for Scottish residents was delayed by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The National Records fof Scotland launched the census survey in early 2022, with the original deadline of 1 May.

However, this was pushed back until 31 May due to a low turnout.

The first results from the census will be revealed in 2023.