United Kingdom · region of England
South East England population 2026
South East England has 9,691,844 people on the latest official figure, for mid-2025, 53,199 more than a year earlier (+0.55%). It is the most populous of the UK’s 9 English regions, home to 13.9% of the UK’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 9.7 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
South East England in numbers
- Population
- 9.7 million mid-2025
- Change in a year
- +0.55% +53,199 people
- Change since 2020
- +5.06% from 9.2 million
- Share of the UK
- 13.9% Largest of 9 English regions
- Population density
- 508per km² 19,072 km²
- Births in the year
- 88 thousand deaths: 88 thousand
- International migration
- +22 thousand net arrivals from abroad
- Moves within the UK
- +32 thousand more people moved in than left
In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 559, 21,688 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 32,130 more people moved in from the rest of the UK than moved out.
That is about as many people as Israel (9.6 million).
Population of South East England by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 8,652,784 |
| 2012 | 8,731,840 |
| 2013 | 8,809,382 |
| 2014 | 8,893,930 |
| 2015 | 8,969,638 |
| 2016 | 9,053,011 |
| 2017 | 9,105,076 |
| 2018 | 9,150,245 |
| 2019 | 9,193,770 |
| 2020 | 9,225,273 |
| 2021 | 9,295,829 |
| 2022 | 9,397,316 |
| 2023 | 9,537,252 |
| 2024 | 9,638,645 |
| 2025 | 9,691,844 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,691,844 | +53,199 | +0.55% |
| 2024 | 9,638,645 | +101,393 | +1.06% |
| 2023 | 9,537,252 | +139,936 | +1.49% |
| 2022 | 9,397,316 | +101,487 | +1.09% |
| 2021 | 9,295,829 | +70,556 | +0.76% |
| 2020 | 9,225,273 | +31,503 | +0.34% |
| 2019 | 9,193,770 | +43,525 | +0.48% |
| 2018 | 9,150,245 | +45,169 | +0.50% |
| 2017 | 9,105,076 | +52,065 | +0.58% |
| 2016 | 9,053,011 | +83,373 | +0.93% |
| 2015 | 8,969,638 | +75,708 | +0.85% |
| 2014 | 8,893,930 | +84,548 | +0.96% |
| 2013 | 8,809,382 | +77,542 | +0.89% |
| 2012 | 8,731,840 | +79,056 | +0.91% |
| 2011 | 8,652,784 | – | – |
South East England among the UK’s English regions
Full ranking →| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South East England | 9,691,844 | +0.55% | 13.9% | 508 |
| 2 | London | 9,122,909 | −0.29% | 13.1% | 5,804 |
| 3 | North West England | 7,772,854 | +0.73% | 11.2% | 551 |
| 4 | East of England | 6,613,801 | +0.65% | 9.5% | 346 |
| 5 | West Midlands | 6,205,854 | +0.39% | 8.9% | 477 |
| 6 | South West England | 5,906,997 | +0.38% | 8.5% | 248 |
| 7 | Yorkshire and the Humber | 5,672,166 | +0.28% | 8.2% | 368 |
| 8 | East Midlands | 5,085,641 | +0.50% | 7.3% | 326 |
| 9 | North East England | 2,762,746 | +0.51% | 4.0% | 322 |
Largest cities in South East England
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Reading318,014
- Brighton283,870
- Southampton269,781
- Milton Keynes256,385
- Portsmouth208,100
- Slough164,793
Questions
What is the population of South East England in 2026?
Is South East England’s population growing or shrinking?
How does South East England rank in the UK?
What is the population density of South East England?
What is the largest city in South East England?
Source and method
Office for National Statistics, mid-year population estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Standard area measurements, ONS. The ONS publishes new mid-year estimates once a year. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the UK, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.
Cite this page: South East England population, Office for National Statistics, mid-2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-kingdom/south-east-england/
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