People and Population
Who lives where tells us lots about the communities we work in. Data is available about the size and structure of populations and the changes over time. Local plans are likely to be available with information on the demographics and population projections, including changes in the number and mix of young people.
It can be very useful to understand the makeup of the local population - in terms of ethnicity, living and working arrangements, and deprivation, as well as age. There is a huge amount of very detailed data available on people living in your local area, right down to very small radii of a few streets.
Key places to start
Find out how many people live in your local area, who they are, and their living and working arrangements on the NOMIS website. This is based on data from the 2011 Census, and is available right down to extremely small areas of a few specific streets.
You can download a table showing the estimated population of your local authority by age (broken down to individual years, and showing male and female populations) on the Office for National Statistics website.
Find out about deprivation in your local area and compare it with other areas using this map or explore the data on the Index for Multiple Deprivation website - using a range of different data sources collated in 2019.
Get an overview of the population of your local authority area on the LGInform website by selecting the area you are interested in.
Childhood Local Data on Risks and Needs (CHLDRN) allows exploration and comparison of data about multiple indicators of vulnerability and risk factors in local authorities and parliamentary constituencies. The National Youth Agency (NYA) Youth Sector Map provides a growing directory that is easy to use, and allows young people and others to see what provision is available in their areas.
Things to consider
Much of this page is based on data from the 2011 Census, or updates based on statistical estimates. It also contains data about the whole population, often with more details on working age adults than on children and young people.
Example
David is planning a new project in a different part of the city. He uses the local area profile and the Index of Multiple Deprivation map to understand more about the area, the communities that live there and the level of deprivation and access to services. The interactive map shows him how this compares to the rest of the city. He also looks up the youth claimant count for the ward and compares this with figures for the whole local authority. Taking these different data sources together gives David good insights and background on the local situation before the project gets going.
Other sources of information
Understanding Society is a long-running national survey capturing details about who we are, where we live, what we do, our personal and living situation, health and wellbeing, and our attitudes and beliefs. It has a dedicated section where you can explore data on 0-15 year olds over time.
Data sources
What this is:
Your local authority will often have profiles of each individual ward, drawing on a number of the data sources listed here. Sometimes these are dynamic (linked to data and updating automatically), while others will be in pdfs or static webpages - often these contain data from a range of different sources, including the council’s own monitoring or research. They may also have additional demographic data on specific groups, for example based on age or ethnicity.
Who it includes:
Varies by local authority.
Where it covers:
Local authority, ward.
When updated:
Varies by local authority.
How to use:
Search for “ward profile” or the name of a specific ward on your local authority website.
Look for sections of the website like “our population”.
Bear in mind:
Typically, this is data on the whole population - everyone who lives in your area, not just young people.
Much underlying data is drawn from the Census - as of April 2022, this means it comes from 2011, and some areas will have changed significantly since then.
What this is:
The Local Plan is the strategic framework for planning and development in a local authority area.
Neighbourhood Plans set out local policies and priorities for a smaller area or community and must be led by a local community group.
As well as housing, plans may include policies or strategies for provision of local schools, transport and other services, and for green space, community facilities, safe streets and public places. The Local Plan is likely to include detailed statistics on demographics and population projections (including children and young people) and the local economy. You may also be able to find detailed profiles of specific neighbourhoods.
Who it includes:
Each local authority
Where it covers:
Local authority, neighbourhoods
When updated:
At least every five years.
How to use:
Find the Local Plan or relevant Neighbourhood Plans on your local authority’s website - this is likely to be a pdf although some authorities may also publish it in a more interactive format. Search for the name of your local area and “Neighbourhood Plan”. Your local Councillors will also be able to provide you with information on any Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plan.
Bear in mind:
Local Plans are primarily about housing supply. They will give you lots of very interesting background on your local area, but you may not be able to find everything you want, especially when it comes to specific groups or communities. Plans are typically very long and detailed documents which will take time to read.
Not every neighbourhood will have a plan - given the requirement for a community group to register and dedicate significant time and effort to developing the plan, they may be more common for more affluent areas.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has issued guidance on their expectations on neighbourhood planning and more widely about planning.
What this is:
Detailed data on the local population, including age, identity, language, living arrangements, caring responsibilities, employment and qualifications. Extremely high-quality data drawn from the Census.
Who it includes:
Total population, breakdowns by age, gender, ethnicity
Where it covers:
Parliamentary constituency, local authority, ward / parish, Lower Super Output Area, Output Area.
When updated:
At least every 10 years.
How to use:
Local area profiles are available down to individual Output Areas (typically a few streets)
Bear in mind:
Data on the whole population - everyone who lives in your area, not just young people.
Data is drawn from the Census - as of April 2022, this means it comes from 2011, and some areas will have changed significantly since then.
See moreWhat this is:
Total population, including 0-16 year -olds, and local employment / unemployment, qualifications and job availability. Good quality data based on a range of official sources and estimates.
Who it includes:
Total population, breakdowns by age, gender.
Where it covers:
Local authority.
When updated:
Annually or less often (see note).
How to use:
You can find the profile for your local authority area here - select the area you are interested in.
Bear in mind:
Data on the whole population - everyone who lives in your area, not just young people.
Data on employment and earnings is drawn from annual surveys. Population data is based on statistical estimates updated every few years.
See moreWhat this is:
The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) brings together official statistics on seven key domains of deprivation: Income, Employment, Education, Health, Crime, Barriers to Housing & Services, and Living Environment.
Different measures are combined to produce an “index” or ranking of relative deprivation in each domain. These indices are combined to produce the Index of Multiple Deprivation, an overall picture of relative deprivation that highlights the most deprived places.
This is a high-quality statistic based on a range of official sources.
Data can be presented at a very local level – “Lower Super Output Areas” (LSOAs) with an average population of 1,500. This data is combined to rank every LSOA in terms of relative deprivation, and you can also access individual statistics under each heading, as well as subcategories like the Index of Deprivation Affecting Children and Infants (IDACI).
Who it includes:
The whole UK population.
Where it covers:
Data is accessible as “Lower Super Output Areas” (LSOAs) with an average population of 1,500 but summaries for local authorities are available. Data can also be shown by region and ward.
When updated:
The most recent data is from 2019, previous release was in 2015. No plans for an update have yet been announced
How to use:
The data can be viewed as a map; options allow you to search by local authority, postcode, ward or Lower Super Output Area level, and. It shows a colour coding of relative deprivation for each area.
A dedicated website gives you can access the IMD data, and download spreadsheets including combined scores for deprivation affecting children and infants, and local authority summaries can also be downloaded.
Bear in mind:
The IMD allows you to compare local areas to each other. It does not give you the underlying data which would show you actual levels of e.g.,(for example) income or education.
Data is presented for each area, and it’s not possible to break it down to different groups of people by age, ethnicity or other characteristic. A challenge with the IMD is that LSOAs do not always map easily onto real places or communities – although summaries are available at the level of local authorities and clinical commissioning groups.
The most recent data is from 2019.
See moreWhat this is:
Estimates of the population of local areas by single year of age and gender. Good quality data based on statistical modelling.
Who it includes:
Total population, breakdowns by age, gender.
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
You can download tables with the most recent mid-year population estimates for every local authority area.
This shows population by single year of age (Table MYE2), which allows you to estimate the number of young people in any age group. There are also figures for median age and population density, allowing you to see how youthful and/or crowded your area is compared with other areas.
Bear in mind:
These are estimates based on assessments of births, deaths and inward / outward migration in each area - they may not account for major recent events with a big impact on the local population.
What this is:
Data on the population, age, gender and ethnicity of a local authority area. High quality data drawn from the Census and Office for National Statistics statistical estimates, combined in a simple report by LGInform.
Who it includes:
Total population, breakdowns by age, gender, ethnicity.
Where it covers:
Local authority.
When updated:
Every 10 years for Census data, annually for population estimates.
How to use:
You can find the profile for your local authority by selecting the area you are interested in.
Bear in mind:
Ethnicity data is drawn from the Census - as of April 2022, this means it comes from 2011, and some areas will have changed significantly since then.
Age data is an estimate based on assessments of births, deaths and inward / outward migration in each area - this may not account for major recent events with a big impact on the local population.
See moreWhat this is:
Numbers of children in low-income families, data on child development and school readiness, and teenage pregnancy rates. High-quality data based on a range of official sources.
Who it includes:
0-18 year -olds (B01 0-16, B02 age 5, C02 under 18, C08 age 2).
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually (but can vary).
How to use:
You can find data for your local authority on each of the following indicators (among many others):
Indicator B01 - Children in low-income families
Indicator B02 - School readiness
Indicator C02 - Conception rate / 1,000 (under 18, under 16)
Indicator C08 - Early childhood development
Bear in mind:
This is useful data about wellbeing and deprivation among young people, but it is not possible to break it down to smaller areas or different groups of young people.
What this is:
A platform providing information about the numbers of children at risk in England, at both a national and local level. It makes available over 100 indicators across different age ranges and types of risk, and allows you to explore how these vary across England.
Who it includes:
Children and Young people (age ranges vary by indicator).
Where it covers:
National, Local Authority, Parliamentary Constituency and Clinical Commissioning Group
When updated:
The tool was last updated in 2021.
How to use:
Navigate between ‘national’ and ‘local area data’ to find summaries at different levels. A map that shows relative prevalence across England can be browsed and explored.
Bear in mind:
This tool brings together data from different sources that are updated according to different schedules, through different methods. It colour codes figures according to different levels of confidence and completeness.
The tool is not updated regularly, so may not include the latest figures.
See moreWhat this is:
A digital map to visualise and search data from the National Youth Sector Census. The National Youth Agency (NYA) asked all organisations and groups who deliver or support youth services and out of school activities to share information about their provision.
Who it includes:
Children and Young people (age ranges vary by submission).
Where it covers:
Local Authority.
When updated:
Data for the tool was collected in 2021.
How to use:
The map allows you to type in your local authority name, or using the drop down select 'By partial postcode' and complete your postcode. Once you have completed this step, click 'Show Data' and a populated map will appear.
Bear in mind:
The data is based on self-selection opt-in submission of provision. This may reflect who was reaches during the outreach for the census than all provision in an area.
The tool is in development and launched as a “BETA” version (An early version of a program or application that contains most of the major features, but is not yet complete).
You can read a summary report of national findings on the NYA website.
The tool is not updated regularly, so may not include the latest figures.
See more