--- page_version: f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49 content_date: 2026-10-16 entity_id: report:united-kingdom-largest-cities entity_type: report name: Largest cities in United Kingdom canonical_url: https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/ json_url: https://immigrationdb.com/data/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities.json markdown_url: https://immigrationdb.com/data/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities.md snapshot_id: approved-static-48d32b636f07abc8 generated_at: 2026-10-25 last_verified: 2026-09-26 citation_schema: immigrationdb-citation-v1 citation_canonical_url: https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/ citation_title: Largest cities in United Kingdom citation_author: ImmigrationDB citation_publisher: ImmigrationDB citation_snapshot_id: approved-static-48d32b636f07abc8 citation_version: "f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49" citation_retrieval_date: "2026-10-16" citation_build_date: "2026-10-16" citation_license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ license_url: https://immigrationdb.com/about/copyright/ --- # Largest cities in United Kingdom United Kingdom cities ranked by their own published resident population. - Canonical: /reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/ - Last checked: 2026-09-26 ## Answers ### Birmingham, United Kingdom 1,121,375 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Glasgow, United Kingdom 640,350 people - Source: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/media/kmepnkhq/mid-year-population-estimates-time-series-data.xlsx - Checked: 2026-08-05 ### Leeds, United Kingdom 536,280 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Liverpool, United Kingdom 506,565 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Sheffield, United Kingdom 500,535 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Manchester, United Kingdom 470,405 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Bristol, United Kingdom 425,215 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Croydon, United Kingdom 407,821 people - Source: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round - Checked: 2026-08-05 ### Leicester, United Kingdom 406,580 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Cardiff, United Kingdom 383,919 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland/mid2024/mye24tablesuk.xlsx - Checked: 2026-09-19 ### Belfast, United Kingdom 352,390 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland/mid2024/mye24tablesuk.xlsx - Checked: 2026-09-19 ### Coventry, United Kingdom 344,285 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Bradford, United Kingdom 333,950 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Nottingham, United Kingdom 299,790 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom 286,445 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Derby, United Kingdom 275,575 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom 270,810 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Harrow, United Kingdom 269,993 people - Source: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round - Checked: 2026-08-05 ### Plymouth, United Kingdom 266,955 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom 260,560 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Bexley, United Kingdom 255,950 people - Source: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round - Checked: 2026-08-05 ### Southampton, United Kingdom 249,620 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Northampton, United Kingdom 243,520 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Wolverhampton, United Kingdom 234,025 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Luton, United Kingdom 233,525 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Aberdeen, United Kingdom 231,780 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland/mid2024/mye24tablesuk.xlsx - Checked: 2026-09-19 ### Portsmouth, United Kingdom 223,305 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 - Checked: 2026-08-04 ### Islington, United Kingdom 222,724 people - Source: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round - Checked: 2026-08-05 ### Sutton, United Kingdom 213,972 people - Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2Fpopulationandmigration%2Fpopulationestimates%2Fdatasets%2Festimatesofthepopulationforenglandandwales%2Fmid20252023localauthorityboundaries%2Fmye25tablesew.xlsx - Checked: 2026-09-26 ### City of Westminster, United Kingdom 209,365 people - Source: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round - Checked: 2026-08-05 ## Method Every row is a published population observation, ranked highest first. The values were observed between 2021 and 2025. A place appears only when it publishes this exact metric, so an absent place means missing data rather than a low value. Only published cities with at least 20,000 residents and city-level observations qualify. ## Sources Office for National Statistics — https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwalescensus2021 National Records of Scotland — https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/media/kmepnkhq/mid-year-population-estimates-time-series-data.xlsx Office for National Statistics via Nomis — https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2014_1.data.csv?geography=654311431TYPE170&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100&time=2024&select=geography,geography_name,geography_code,gender,gender_name,c_age,c_age_name,measures,measures_name,time,obs_value,obs_status,obs_round ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates UK, mid-2024 — MYE2: Persons by single year of age (All ages totals) — https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland/mid2024/mye24tablesuk.xlsx Estimates of the population for England and Wales: mid-2025 — MYE25 tables — https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2Fpopulationandmigration%2Fpopulationestimates%2Fdatasets%2Festimatesofthepopulationforenglandandwales%2Fmid20252023localauthorityboundaries%2Fmye25tablesew.xlsx ## Cite This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. ### APA ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Largest cities in United Kingdom [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ### BibTeX ```bibtex @misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_largest-cities-in-united-kingdom_efe8dd125478, author = {ImmigrationDB}, title = {Largest cities in United Kingdom}, publisher = {ImmigrationDB}, year = {2026}, date = {2026-10-16}, version = {f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49}, url = {https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/}, note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/}, } ``` ### Markdown [Largest cities in United Kingdom](https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16. - Citation schema: `immigrationdb-citation-v1` - Canonical URL: https://immigrationdb.com/reports/united-kingdom-largest-cities/ - Title: Largest cities in United Kingdom - Author: ImmigrationDB - Publisher: ImmigrationDB - Snapshot: `approved-static-48d32b636f07abc8` - Version: `f69795fbf83f5c7e76ebdb9ff145db49` - Retrieved: 2026-10-16 - Built: 2026-10-16 - Compilation license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) ## Boundary This ranking is a source-backed reference. Read the source, geographic grain and observation date before comparing rows.