The English and Welsh census takes place every ten years. It provides lots of information about population numbers and characteristics. Information from the census helps in the allocation of public money.
The latest Census was held on 21 March 2021. At census date, Sheffield had a population of 556,500 individuals, in 232,000 households. This is 0.7% higher than at the 2011 census (552,698).
After a drop in the 1980s, Sheffield’s population has steadily grown since the 1990s through to 2011, but the rate of growth has slowed since then.
Sheffield's population has a large number of people in the 20 to 24 age group due to the significant student population. However, numbers of people in this age group have declined in comparison with 2011.
50.6% of Sheffield’s population is female compared to 49.6% in 2011, with the difference mostly a result of larger numbers of females in 75+ age groups.
Census 2021 outputs
Following the census, the Office for National Statistics published a series of resources, known as topic summaries. Topic summaries give insights into different aspects of the census. Topic summaries focused on the Sheffield population are available to view below.
Further information about census release plans is available on the ONS website.
Sheffield Local Insight
More data about Sheffield’s population is available via Sheffield Local Insight.