York had 202,821 usual residents in the 2021 Census, compared with around 198,100 in 2011. That was a 2.4% increase over the decade. The census profile also shows an older age structure, a larger privately rented sector, changing household patterns and substantial shifts in reported religion.
Contents
- Population size, growth and density
- Age structure and ageing
- Households and legal partnership status
- Birthplace, ethnicity and religion
- Health, disability and unpaid care
- Housing tenure
Population size, growth and density
The 2021 Census recorded 202,821 usual residents in York. The 2011 figure was around 198,100 residents. These are census counts for the City of York local-authority area, rather than a forecast or a later population estimate. The 2021 total and the council’s census information are available from Census – City of York Council.
Across the two census dates, York’s population increased by 2.4%. That is a relatively small numerical change across the decade, but it provides the baseline for interpreting the other measures in this article. Percentages below describe the relevant census population or household base specified by the source; they should not automatically be converted into counts.
The Office for National Statistics reported around 5.3 residents per football-pitch-sized area in 2021, compared with 5.2 in 2011. This is the source’s density comparison and is intended as an accessible description of population concentration, not a conventional residents-per-square-kilometre measure. The same ONS profile ranked York 93rd by population among England’s 309 local-authority areas in 2021, two places lower than in 2011.
| Measure | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | Around 198,100 | 202,821 |
| Residents per football-pitch-sized area | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| England local-authority population rank | 91st | 93rd |
Sources: How life has changed in York: Census 2021 and How the population changed in York: Census 2021.
Age structure and ageing
York’s median age was 39 in 2021, up from 38 in 2011. The age profile points to growth in several older age bands. Residents aged 65 to 74 made up 10.0% of the population in 2021, compared with 8.5% in 2011. The 75-to-84 group rose from 5.9% to 6.4%, while residents aged 85 and over rose from 2.5% to 2.7%.
The 50-to-64 age group also increased, from 17.4% in 2011 to 18.5% in 2021. Taken together, these figures describe a larger share of York’s population in the older adult age bands covered by the census comparison. They do not provide a forecast of future ageing.
| Age group | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 85 and over | 2.5% | 2.7% |
| 75 to 84 | 5.9% | 6.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.0% |
| 50 to 64 | 17.4% | 18.5% |
| 35 to 49 | 20.2% | 17.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 20 to 24 | 10.0% | 10.0% |
Some younger age groups moved differently. Residents aged 35 to 49 fell from 20.2% to 17.9%, and those aged 25 to 34 fell from 13.5% to 12.7%. Residents aged 20 to 24 represented 10.0% in both censuses. The 16-to-19 group increased from 6.1% to 6.6%, while 10-to-15-year-olds rose from 5.9% to 6.0% and five-to-nine-year-olds from 4.7% to 4.9%.
Children aged four and under were 4.2% of York’s population in 2021, down from 5.4% in 2011. The figures therefore show a mixed pattern: increases in several older groups and some school-age groups, alongside a smaller share of the youngest children and adults aged 25 to 49.
Households and legal partnership status
Household composition gives a different view from the resident population. In 2021, one-person households with a resident aged 66 or over represented 13.6% of York households, up from 12.9% in 2011. Other one-person households represented 17.6%, compared with 17.3% in 2011.
Cohabiting-couple households without children accounted for 19.2% of households in 2021, down from 20.3% in 2011. Cohabiting-couple households with dependent children fell from 17.9% to 17.6%. Where all children were non-dependent, the share rose slightly from 5.1% to 5.2%. Lone-parent households represented 8.6% in 2021, compared with 8.7% in 2011, while other household types rose from 17.7% to 18.3%.
The legal partnership profile also changed. Among York residents aged 16 and over, 42.8% had never married or registered a civil partnership in 2021, up from 38.6% in 2011. The share who were married or in a registered civil partnership fell from 44.3% to 41.3%. Those who were divorced or had dissolved a civil partnership represented 8.4% in 2021, compared with 8.5% in 2011.
These are separate measures: household composition describes the people living together in households, while legal partnership status describes the reported status of residents aged 16 and over. They should not be treated as interchangeable indicators of relationships.
Birthplace, ethnicity and religion
Most York residents were born in England in 2021. Around 174,600 residents were England-born, representing 86.1% of the local population. Around 3,800 were born in Scotland, or 1.9%. Around 2,000 were born in China, representing 1.0%, and around 1,800 were born in Poland, representing 0.9%. The Welsh-born population represented 0.8% in both 2021 and 2011.
The census ethnic-group categories show a White ethnic group share of 92.8% in 2021, down from 94.3% in 2011. The Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh group increased from 3.4% to 3.8%. The Mixed or Multiple group rose from 1.2% to 1.8%, and the Other ethnic group from 0.5% to 1.0%.
Religion responses changed more sharply between the two censuses. Residents reporting no religion represented 46.1% of York’s population in 2021, up from 30.1% in 2011. Residents describing themselves as Christian represented 43.9%, down from 59.5%. Muslim residents represented 1.2%, up from 1.0%, while Hindu residents represented 0.5% in both years. The share that did not answer the religion question fell from 7.8% to 6.9%.
Religion is a voluntary census question, and the figures describe responses or non-responses for the relevant census population. They are not measures of attendance or religious practice.
Health, disability and unpaid care
The ONS comparison uses age-standardised health and disability measures, which helps compare the two census years while accounting for differences in age structure. In 2021, self-reported very good health covered 48.5% of York residents, up from 47.9% in 2011. Good health covered 35.0%, compared with 34.7% in 2011.
Fair health covered 12.2% in 2021, down from 12.9%, while bad health covered 3.4%, down from 3.5%. These categories are self-reported and age-standardised; they are not clinical diagnoses.
Age-standardised disability data classified 5.9% of York residents as disabled and limited a lot in 2021, down from 7.1% in 2011. The share classified as disabled and limited a little rose from 9.5% to 10.9%. The not-disabled category was 83.2% in 2021, compared with 83.4% in 2011.
Among residents aged five and over, 92.0% provided no weekly unpaid care in 2021, up from 89.6% in 2011. Those providing up to 19 hours weekly represented 4.6%, down from 7.2%. The share providing 50 or more hours weekly was 2.1% in both 2021 and 2011. These care figures relate to weekly unpaid care provision, not paid care work.
Housing tenure
Home ownership remained the largest tenure group in York in 2021. Households owning their home outright or with a mortgage or loan represented 65.1% of households, down from 66.1% in 2011. Shared-ownership households represented 0.8% in both census years.
Socially rented households also represented 14.0% in both 2011 and 2021. By contrast, privately rented households increased from 17.9% to 20.0%. Households living rent-free represented 0.1% in 2021, compared with 1.2% in 2011.
| Housing tenure | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright, with mortgage or loan | 66.1% | 65.1% |
| Shared ownership | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Socially rented | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| Privately rented | 17.9% | 20.0% |
| Rent-free | 1.2% | 0.1% |
The tenure percentages describe households, not individual residents. The 2021 figures are a snapshot from the census period and should not be read as a later estimate or forecast of York’s housing market.
Source for the 2011-to-2021 comparisons in this article: How life has changed in York: Census 2021.