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Derby · England

People and living standards

Derby council area. Every figure carries its own date.

Derby

How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.

Derby local authority area. These are council-area figures. They are not a separate history for every ward or the city centre.

More people? A different age mix?

The population grew from 222,881 in 1991 to 275,344 in 2025.

A growing number of children, working-age adults or older residents can mean different needs for homes, schools, jobs and care.

Population

1996 to 2025

Derby council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 229,225 people in 1996; 275,344 people in 2025. 20.1% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Population — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991222,881
1992224,129
1993225,217
1994226,548
1995227,650
1996229,225
1997230,477
1998230,893
1999231,252
2000230,794
2001230,726
2002231,979
2003232,827
2004234,501
2005236,470
2006238,110
2007239,917
2008241,865
2009243,980
2010247,035
2011248,943
2012251,804
2013253,812
2014255,320
2015257,406
2016259,883
2017261,104
2018262,395
2019263,014
2020261,999
2021261,260
2022264,414
2023269,643
2024273,656
2025275,344
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

Derby council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 49,293 people in 1996; 53,844 people in 2025. 9.2% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 0 to 15 — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199146,913
199247,607
199348,354
199449,076
199549,318
199649,293
199749,392
199849,255
199949,128
200048,668
200148,119
200247,945
200347,858
200447,967
200548,078
200648,109
200748,434
200848,953
200949,434
201050,035
201150,747
201251,355
201351,642
201452,051
201552,570
201653,118
201753,479
201853,614
201953,387
202052,846
202152,190
202252,614
202353,363
202453,855
202553,844
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

Derby council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 143,340 people in 1996; 176,111 people in 2025. 22.9% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 16 to 64 — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991140,583
1992140,893
1993141,029
1994141,435
1995142,039
1996143,340
1997144,364
1998144,817
1999145,452
2000145,436
2001145,659
2002147,156
2003147,981
2004149,555
2005151,283
2006153,113
2007154,629
2008156,038
2009157,309
2010159,424
2011160,299
2012161,587
2013162,562
2014162,984
2015164,077
2016165,524
2017165,871
2018166,774
2019166,984
2020166,516
2021166,013
2022168,280
2023172,355
2024175,231
2025176,111
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

Derby council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 36,592 people in 1996; 45,389 people in 2025. 24% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 65 or over — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199135,385
199235,629
199335,834
199436,037
199536,293
199636,592
199736,721
199836,821
199936,672
200036,690
200136,948
200236,878
200336,988
200436,979
200537,109
200636,888
200736,854
200836,874
200937,237
201037,576
201137,897
201238,862
201339,608
201440,285
201540,759
201641,241
201741,754
201842,007
201942,643
202042,637
202143,057
202243,520
202343,925
202444,570
202545,389
Source →

Population growth alone does not show whether services are under pressure. Capacity, location and residents’ needs also matter.

How residents described their ethnic group

These are census snapshots, not annual estimates. Open a year to see both the number of people and their share of the population.

2021 census · 261,364 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Derby · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh40,90115.6%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African10,4824%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups9,5623.7%
White192,87173.8%
Other ethnic group7,5482.9%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2011 census · 248,752 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Derby · 2011
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White199,75180.3%
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups7,2322.9%
Asian/Asian British31,09512.5%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British7,3202.9%
Other ethnic group3,3541.3%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2001 census · 221,708 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Derby · 2001
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White193,88187.4%
Mixed3,9681.8%
Asian/Asian British18,5338.4%
Black/Black British3,8951.8%
Chinese/Other1,4310.6%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →

A complete, comparable 30-year ethnicity history is not available for every current area. Missing years have not been estimated.

How comfortable is life here?

Pay, housing costs, health and opportunities tell different parts of the story. An area average can hide large differences between households.

In 2024, average disposable income per person was 24.4% below the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

Derby council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: £9,186 per person in 1997; £19,635 per person in 2024. 113.7% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Money available to spend or save per person — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
19979,186
19989,261
19999,733
20009,726
200110,169
200210,558
200310,849
200411,356
200511,315
200612,008
200712,327
200812,255
200912,914
201012,513
201112,501
201213,087
201313,427
201414,062
201514,533
201614,602
201715,178
201815,635
201916,225
202016,316
202116,762
202217,531
202318,475
202419,635
Source →
Has the gap with the UK average changed?

Above zero means income is above the UK average; below zero means it is below. Each year is compared with the UK average for that same year.

Income above or below the UK average

1997 to 2024

Derby council area · %

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: -13.4% in 1997; -24.4% in 2024. 11 percentage points lower.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils. Displayed as the published UK=100 value minus 100, giving the percentage above or below the UK average.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Income above or below the UK average — Derby council area: full reviewed history
Period%
1997-13.4
1998-14.5
1999-14
2000-18.3
2001-17.8
2002-16.5
2003-16.8
2004-16.3
2005-19.5
2006-18
2007-19.7
2008-22.2
2009-19.3
2010-22.5
2011-23.3
2012-22.5
2013-23.3
2014-22.2
2015-23.6
2016-24.2
2017-23
2018-23.4
2019-23
2020-22.3
2021-23.3
2022-23.7
2023-24.4
2024-24.4
Source →

Mixed-source official estimates: administrative records and surveys. Income here is the average money per resident available to spend or save after tax and benefits. It is not typical pay or household wealth. Cash figures do not show how much prices changed.

Households facing several disadvantages

20.6%

21 March 2021 · Derby local authority area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

20.1%

21 March 2021 · Derby local authority area

Show the workings

Residents aged 16 and over

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

People reporting bad or very bad health

5.8%

21 March 2021 · Derby local authority area

Show the workings

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Average home price

£207,000

July 2026 · Derby local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Source →

Average monthly private rent

£860

August 2026 · Derby local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Source →

Deprivation describes several kinds of disadvantage. It is not a measure of household wealth. A change in an area's ranking does not by itself show whether living conditions improved.

See differences between neighbourhoods →

What could the changes mean locally?

Use the age profile alongside school places and care capacity, and look at housing costs alongside pay. Then check whether local plans respond to the needs shown by the evidence.

Read the local action plan →
Which histories are missing or need care?

These histories describe the stated whole area. A consistent historical series for its current wards has not been established.

1991 ethnicity has not been reconstructed to this current area. No annual ethnicity values are inferred between census dates.

These local income figures include inflation. No local inflation-adjusted income series has been substituted or inferred from regional prices.

This series describes the stated council or reference area. A comparable 30-year income history for its current wards has not been established.

The reviewed release starts in 1997. Earlier income values have not been invented or joined from another definition.