List of urban areas in the United Kingdom

This is a list of the most populous urban areas in the United Kingdom based on the 2011 census, as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). , the ONS has not published the equivalent data based on the 2021 census.

Definition

The methodology used by ONS in 2011 is set out in 2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance, published in June 2013. When ONS reported the results of the 2011 UK census, it used the term built-up area rather than the term urban area as used in previous censuses. ONS states, however, that the criteria used to define built-up area have not changed:

In reporting the 2001 census, the ONS gave a clearer definition of the term "built-up" as follows:

Most populous

The list below shows the most populated urban areas in the United Kingdom as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which can be readily referenced at Citypopulation.de. The list includes all urban areas with a population in excess of 100,000 at the 2011 census. <!-- Please refer to the source references at the foot of the page before changing the table below. The data is as at the 2011 census: please do not replace lines with later local government estimates.

Please note also that "built-up area" (previously "urban area") is a term defined by the Office for National Statistics with an unambiguous meaning, backed up by a precise map to show its extent. It is the ONS (not Wikipedia) which decides whether a settlement belongs (or do not belong) in a larger area. -->

{| class="wikitable sortable col3right col4right col5right"

!Area

!Population (2011)

!Area (km2)

!Density (People/ km2)

!class="unsortable"|Primary subdivisions

!class="unsortable"|Notable changes from 2001 to 2011

|Greater London

|9,787,426

|1,737.9

|5,630

|London boroughs, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Woking, Harlow, St Albans, Bracknell

|Guildford, Harlow, Bracknell and St Albans added.

|Greater Manchester

|2,553,379

|630.3

|4,051

|Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Atherton, Leigh, Trafford, Tameside

|Golborne, Glossop and Newton-le-Willows added.

|West Midlands

|2,440,986

|598.9

|4,076

|Birmingham, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Dudley, Walsall, Solihull

|West Yorkshire

|1,777,934

|487.8

|3,645

|Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Keighley, Halifax

|Halifax added

|Greater Glasgow

|957,620

|368.5

|3,390

|Glasgow, Paisley, Clydebank, Rutherglen, Newton Mearns, Bearsden, Cambuslang, Clarkston, Bishopbriggs

|Liverpool

|864,122

|199.6

|4,329

|Liverpool, Bootle, Litherland, Crosby, Prescot, St. Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield

|Ashton-in-Makerfield added

|South Hampshire

|855,569

|192.0

|4,455

|Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh, Gosport, Fareham, Havant

|Portsmouth Urban Area and Southampton Urban Area combined. Hedge End, Locks Heath, Bursledon and Whiteley added. Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent removed.

|Tyneside

|774,891

|180.5

|4,292

|Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside

|Washington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring removed.

|Nottingham

|729,977

|176.4

|4,139

|Nottingham, Beeston, Carlton, West Bridgford, Ilkeston, Hucknall

!10

|Sheffield

|685,368

|167.5

|4,092

|Sheffield, Rotherham, Rawmarsh

!11

|Bristol

|617,280

|144.4

|4,274

|Bristol, Filton, Pill, Frampton Cotterell, Kingswood, Warmley, Mangotsfield, Winterbourne

!12

|Belfast

|595,879

|960

|620

|Belfast, Castlereagh, Greenisland, Holywood, Lisburn, Newtownabbey

!13

|Leicester

|508,916

|109.4

|4,653

|Leicester, Wigston, Oadby, Syston, Blaby, Birstall, Narborough, Enderby

|Ratby removed and Narborough and Enderby added

!14

|Edinburgh

|482,270

|125

|4,172

|Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Wallyford

!15

|Brighton and Hove

|474,485

|89.4

|5,304

|Brighton and Hove, Worthing, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea

|Rottingdean, Saltdean and Findon removed.

!16

|Bournemouth/ Poole

|466,266

|131.0

|3,559

|Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Ferndown, New Milton, Wimborne Minster

|Ferndown and Wimborne Minster added.

!17

|Cardiff

|447,287

|102.3

|4,370

|Cardiff, Caerphilly, Penarth, Pontypridd

|Caerphilly and Pontypridd added.

!18

|Teesside

|376,633

|108.2

|3,482

|Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, Redcar

|Eston & Southbank added to Middlesbrough sub-division, no longer counted as separate sub-division

!19

|Stoke-on-Trent

|372,775

|103.9

|3,588

|Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove

!20

|Coventry

|359,262

|81.3

|4,420

|Coventry, Bedworth

!21

|Sunderland

|335,415

|137.5

|4,018

|Sunderland, Washington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring

|Washington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring added.

!22

|Birkenhead

|325,264

|88.2

|3,687

|Birkenhead, Wallasey, Ellesmere Port, Bebington

!23

|Reading

|318,014

|83.7

|3,800

|Reading, Wokingham, Woodley, Crowthorne

|Bracknell removed.

!24

|Kingston upon Hull

|314,018

|82.6

|3,802

|Kingston upon Hull, Cottingham, Hessle

!25

|Preston

|313,322

|82.4

|3,802

|Preston, Bamber Bridge, Chorley, Fulwood, Leyland

|Longton and Adlington added.

!26

|Newport

|306,844

|84.2

|3,643

|Newport, Pontypool, Cwmbran, Blackwood, Risca, Ystrad Mynach

|Pontypool, Cwmbran and Blackwood added.

!27

|Swansea

|300,352

|87.6

|3,431

|Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Ystradgynlais, Pontardawe

|Ystradgynlais added.

!28

|Southend-on-Sea

|295,310

|71.8

|4,111

|Southend-on-Sea, Hullbridge, Rayleigh, Rochford

|Hullbridge added.

!29

|Derby

|270,468

|64.1

|4,219

|Derby, Borrowash, Duffield

!30

|Plymouth

|260,203

|59.7

|4,356

|Plymouth

!31

|Luton

|258,018

|50.7

|5,088

|Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis

!32

|Farnborough/ Aldershot

|252,397

|78.5

|3,217

|Farnborough, Aldershot, Camberley, Farnham, Frimley, Sandhurst, Yateley

!33

|Medway Towns

|243,931

|52.2

|4,677

|Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester

!34

|Blackpool

|239,409

|61.3

|3,908

|Blackpool, Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Thornton, Cleveleys

|Fleetwood removed.

!35

|Milton Keynes

|229,941

|62.5

|3,678

|"Milton Keynes", Bletchley, Newport Pagnell, Woburn Sands

|Woburn Sands added.

!36

|Barnsley/ Dearne Valley

|223,281

|59.7

|3,739

|Barnsley, Wath upon Dearne, Wombwell, Hoyland

!37

|Northampton

|215,963

|57.9

|3,731

|Northampton, Collingtree

!38

|Norwich

|213,166

|61.9

|3,444

|Norwich, Taverham, Costessey, Cringleford, Colney, Horsham St Faith, Queens Hills, Thorpe End, Trowse with Newton

!39

|Aberdeen

|208,190

|69.5

|3,050

|Aberdeen

!40

|Swindon

|185,609

|47.1

|3,945

|Swindon, Haydon Wick, Stratton St. Margaret, Broad Blunsdon, Blunsdon St Andrew, Wroughton

!41

|Crawley

|180,508

|58.1

|3,107

|Crawley, Horley, East Grinstead, Copthorne, Crawley Down

|East Grinstead, Copthorne and Crawley Down added.

Reigate and Redhill removed.

!42

|Ipswich

|178,835

|49.1

|3,639

|Ipswich, Kesgrave, Woodbridge

|Woodbridge added

!43

|Wigan

|175,405

|43.8

|4,009

|Wigan, Skelmersdale, Standish, Ince-in-Makerfield

!44

|Mansfield

|171,958

|48.4

|3,556

|Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield Woodhouse

!45

|Oxford

|171,380

|37.4

|4,585

|Oxford, Kennington, Wheatley

|Kennington and Wheatley added

!46

|Warrington

|165,456

|44.9

|3,686

|Warrington

!47

|Slough

|163,777

|34.1

|4,797

|Slough, Stoke Poges, Poyle

!48

|Peterborough

|163,379

|44.2

|3,693

|Peterborough, Farcet

!49

|Cambridge

|158,434

|42.1

|3,760

|Cambridge, Fen Ditton, Girton, Histon

|Histon and Fen Ditton added.

!50

|Doncaster

|158,141

|43.5

|3,634

|Doncaster, Bentley, Armthorpe, Sprotbrough

|Bessacarr added.

!51

|Dundee

|157,550

|49.9

|3,180

|Dundee, Monifieth, Invergowrie

!52

|York

|153,717

|34.0

|4,518

|York, Earswick

!53

|Gloucester

|150,053

|40.4

|3,718

|Gloucester, Innsworth

!54

|Burnley

|149,422

|35.7

|4,183

|Burnley, Padiham, Brierfield, Colne, Barrowford, Nelson

!55

|Telford

|147,980

|47.7

|3,103

|Telford, Broseley

!56

|Blackburn

|146,521

|35.6

|4,115

|Blackburn, Darwen

!57

|Basildon

|144,859

|37.1

|3,902

|Basildon, Wickford, Ramsden Heath, North Benfleet

|Wickford added.

!58

|Grimsby

|134,160

|35.3

|3,804

|Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Waltham

|New Waltham removed.

!59

|Hastings

|133,422

|33.2

|4,019

|Hastings, Bexhill

!60

|High Wycombe

|133,204

|39.2

|3,398

|High Wycombe, Cookham, Hughenden Valley

!61

|Thanet

|125,370

|27.9

|4,495

|Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs

!62

|Accrington/ Rossendale

|125,059

|30.0

|4,168

|Accrington, Rawtenstall, Bacup, Great Harwood, Haslingden, Oswaldtwistle, Church

|Accrington and Rossendale areas combined.

!63

|Motherwell

|124,540

|45.1

|2,765

|Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill, Viewpark, Newmains, Holytown

!64

|Burton-upon-Trent

|122,199

|35.0

|3,487

|Burton-upon-Trent, Swadlincote

|Swadlincote, Stapenhill and Winshill added.

!65

|Colchester

|121,859

|32.7

|3,732

|Colchester, Marks Tey

!66

|Eastbourne

|118,219

|25.1

|4,705

|Eastbourne, Polegate

!67

|Exeter

|117,763

|28.5

|4,133

|Exeter, Topsham

!68

|Cheltenham

|116,447

|28.9

|4,034

|Cheltenham

!69

|Torquay/ Paignton

|115,410

|31.5

|3,667

|Torquay, Paignton, Marldon

!70

|Lincoln

|114,879

|32.7

|3,518

|Lincoln, North Hykeham

!71

|Chesterfield

|113,057

|34.6

|3,263

|Chesterfield, Staveley, Wingerworth, Holymoorside

|Wingerworth added.

!72

|Chelmsford

|111,511

|26.2

|4,259

|Chelmsford, Little Waltham

!73

|Basingstoke

|107,642

|29.4

|3,662

|Basingstoke

!74

|Maidstone

|107,627

|25.4

|4,229

|Maidstone

!75

|Bedford

|106,940

|24.8

|4,309

|Bedford, Kempston

!76

|Worcester

|101,659

|24.7

|4,121

|Worcester, Norton

Map

Notes

References

External links

2011 census – built-up areas Nomis
Mid 2012 Population estimates for Scotland
The population of Northern Ireland – at NISRA

Definition

Most populous

Map

See also

Notes

References

External links