Latest census data for Bristol

LATEST CENSUS DATA PUBLISHED FOR BRISTOL

Bristol is really growing! The city’s population has gone up by over 10% in the last ten years - that’s over 44,000 people moving to the area! That’s higher than the average growth for England and Wales as a whole. Plus, you’ve got a wild mix of ethnic groups, with nearly 20% of residents born outside the UK. You can never be bored here either - schmoozing in about 90 different languages and celebrating a massive 45 religions (although more than half don’t identify as religious). Despite this diversity, Bristol still ranks high nationwide! The census – which took place last year – is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) every 10 years and gives us a snapshot of all the people and households in England and Wales. Census Day was on 21 March 2021. Mayor Marvin Rees said: “We are very proud to have such a diverse city with almost 300 ethnic identities represented, and as a City of Sanctuary we remain committed to offering a warm welcome and a place of safety for anyone who needs it. “We have a growing population, so we are really pleased that this year we surpassed our target of building 2,000 homes a year. 2,563 new homes were built in the city in the year to April 2022, including a twelve-year-high of 474 new affordable homes. We plan to continue to build on this progress through Project 1,000 - our commitment to see at least a thousand much needed new affordable homes be built each year from 2024.

“However we also have a shrinking budget, which means we have to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months to ensure we set a balanced budget for the next five years. The council must be smaller, do less and focus in on our priorities, while making yet further efficiencies. “There is still plenty that we will continue to do and we remain committed to building a city of hope and ambition, where everyone is welcome and able to thrive.” Other key facts from the latest census include: • Bristol has a relatively young population with more children than people over 65. • The median age of people living in Bristol is 32.4 (compared to 40.3 in England and Wales). • There are 191,600 households in the city, up by 4.9 percent (8,900 homes) since 2011. • 26.7 percent of households have dependent children (51,100). • Almost 9,500 veterans make up 2.4 percent of the population over 16. For the first time the census asked questions about sexual orientation and gender identity, with the results being published early next year. The census is like a super detailed survey that tells the authorities what’s going on in our lives. The info helps them decide how to spend money on stuff like roads, education and healthcare. It’s gonna take quite a while because there’s so many answers they’re counting! When all the data has been looked at, it’ll appear on Bristol City Council’s Census Dashboard.

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