In 2023, almost nine million people lived in Greater London, making it the most populated ceremonial county in England. The West Midlands Metropolitan County, which contains the large city of Birmingham, was the second-largest county at 2.98 million inhabitants, followed by Greater Manchester and then West Yorkshire with populations of 2.95 million and 2.4 million, respectively. Kent, Essex, and Hampshire were the three next-largest counties in terms of population, each with around 1.89 million people.
A patchwork of regions
England is just one of the four countries that compose the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with England, Scotland and Wales making up Great Britain. England is therefore not to be confused with Great Britain or the United Kingdom as a whole. Within England, the next subdivisions are the nine regions of England, containing various smaller units such as unitary authorities, metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan districts. The counties in this statistic, however, are based on the ceremonial counties of England as defined by the Lieutenancies Act of 1997.
Regions of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Like England, the other countries of the United Kingdom have their own regional subdivisions, although with some different terminology. Scotland’s subdivisions are council areas, while Wales has unitary authorities, and Northern Ireland has local government districts. As of 2022, the most-populated Scottish council area was Glasgow City, with over 622,000 inhabitants. In Wales, Cardiff had the largest population among its unitary authorities, and in Northern Ireland, Belfast was the local government area with the most people living there.
Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county
*Greater London is defined by official statistics as a region, while West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, South Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear are Metropolitan Counties. The remaining counties are based on the ceremonial counties of England as defined by the Lieutenancies Act of 1997.
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Office for National Statistics (UK). (October 8, 2024). Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 19, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county." Chart. October 8, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2024). Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 19, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Population of England in 2023, by Ceremonial County." Statista, Statista Inc., 8 Oct 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Office for National Statistics (UK), Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 19, 2025)
Population of England in 2023, by ceremonial county [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), October 8, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/971694/county-population-england/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed