The elderly population has increased by more than eight in 10 local areas in England and Wales in the last 40 years, according to a Sky News analysis of the census data.
South Staffordshire is the region with the highest percentage of people over 65. In March 2021, the elderly accounted for 25.2% of the population, compared with 10.1% in 1981.
Meanwhile, Tower Hamlets has seen the largest increase in the population of young adults (15 to 34 years) since 1981, rising from 32.1% to 43.7%.
Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also show that the average share of people over 65 has increased by 3.6 percentage points over the last 40 years.
However, the proportion of young people in England and Wales has decreased by 5% since 1981.
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Every 10 years, the census is conducted by ONS in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their data separately.
It has evolved over time to keep pace with changes in society, but ONS says it still allows historical comparisons of broad population trends.
It provides the most accurate assessment for all people and households in the country.
Professor Jane Falkingham, director of the Center for Population Change at the University of Southampton, said: “The census is really important for all local authorities.
“Partly so that they can plan their services, but also because funding from the central government is based on the census and the age and gender structure of the population.
“If it’s wrong and there are a lot of people in your area who aren’t counted, you won’t get subsidies from the central government at the right level for you.”
The proportion of people over the age of 80 in England and Wales has increased by 2.2 percentage points over the last 40 years, from 2.7% in 1981 to 5% in the last census.
“These age groups are where you really start to get a very high correlation between age and the need for social care,” explained Prof. Falkingham.
“You have healthy 65-year-olds moving to places because it’s a good place to retire, but local authorities need to plan for future service demand in twenty years.”
South Staffordshire is the local area with the highest percentage of people over 80. In March 2021, the elderly accounted for 6.9% of the population, compared with 1.6% in 1981.
A spokesman for the South Staffordshire Council said: “We have a population that chooses to stay in the area because of our low crime rate and the attractive rural villages that make the area a desirable, attractive place to live.
“The South Staffordshire Council has always worked closely with partners to ensure that all growing requirements for the provision of services within local government and other key service providers are coordinated where possible.”
Younger age groups
When it comes to resource allocation, it is also important to know how many younger people there are.
“Schools and housing are the most important,” when it comes to younger age groups, said Prof. Falkingham.
“It didn’t happen recently, but there was a big scandal in Louisham about 15 years ago, when there weren’t enough school places for five-year-olds because the data they used didn’t capture all the movements in and out. of the neighborhood.
“The census gives us this really important picture – we now know how many four-year-olds live in local government. So next year there is no excuse for any local government not to have enough school places.”
Population census during a pandemic
The 2021 census was made at a time when restrictions on coronavirus were still in force in the United Kingdom. But ONS says it has taken quality control measures to take account of changes in life situations across the country.
“During the census period, ONS makes estimates of the local population based on other measures and then tries to look for areas where there is a big difference compared to what they would expect,” explained Prof. Falkingham.
“There are only four of these places where the population was much smaller than expected – Westminster is one of them.
“The case is that people who have a second home may have completed the census from where they are. There is a question about the second homes, but it is on another page, so it depends on how exhausted people are from filling out the first page of the form.
“But overall it’s pretty high quality, and the data most likely reflects that people in these areas of central London have moved to the outskirts and beyond.”
Tuesday’s data is the first of a number of tranches of census data expected to be published in the next two years.
Separate figures for Northern Ireland show a 5% increase in population to a record 1.9 million in 2021. The Scottish Census will not be published until next year.
The Data and Forensics team is a highly qualified unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We collect, analyze and visualize data to tell stories driven by data. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling, we strive to better explain the world, while showing how our journalism is done.
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