United Kingdom · region of England
South West England population 2026
South West England has 5,906,997 people on the latest official figure, for mid-2025, 22,446 more than a year earlier (+0.38%). It is 6th of the UK’s 9 English regions by population, home to 8.5% of the UK’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 5.9 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
South West England in numbers
- Population
- 5.9 million mid-2025
- Change in a year
- +0.38% +22,446 people
- Change since 2020
- +4.33% from 5.7 million
- Share of the UK
- 8.5% 6th of 9 English regions
- Population density
- 248per km² 23,836 km²
- Births in the year
- 47 thousand deaths: 61 thousand
- International migration
- +11 thousand net arrivals from abroad
- Moves within the UK
- +25 thousand more people moved in than left
In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 14,420, 11,311 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 25,093 more people moved in from the rest of the UK than moved out.
That is about as many people as Singapore (5.9 million).
Population of South West England by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 5,300,831 |
| 2012 | 5,336,343 |
| 2013 | 5,374,783 |
| 2014 | 5,422,159 |
| 2015 | 5,471,487 |
| 2016 | 5,526,982 |
| 2017 | 5,574,666 |
| 2018 | 5,609,701 |
| 2019 | 5,642,792 |
| 2020 | 5,661,990 |
| 2021 | 5,712,822 |
| 2022 | 5,768,198 |
| 2023 | 5,831,300 |
| 2024 | 5,884,551 |
| 2025 | 5,906,997 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,906,997 | +22,446 | +0.38% |
| 2024 | 5,884,551 | +53,251 | +0.91% |
| 2023 | 5,831,300 | +63,102 | +1.09% |
| 2022 | 5,768,198 | +55,376 | +0.97% |
| 2021 | 5,712,822 | +50,832 | +0.90% |
| 2020 | 5,661,990 | +19,198 | +0.34% |
| 2019 | 5,642,792 | +33,091 | +0.59% |
| 2018 | 5,609,701 | +35,035 | +0.63% |
| 2017 | 5,574,666 | +47,684 | +0.86% |
| 2016 | 5,526,982 | +55,495 | +1.01% |
| 2015 | 5,471,487 | +49,328 | +0.91% |
| 2014 | 5,422,159 | +47,376 | +0.88% |
| 2013 | 5,374,783 | +38,440 | +0.72% |
| 2012 | 5,336,343 | +35,512 | +0.67% |
| 2011 | 5,300,831 | – | – |
South West 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 West England
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Bristol479,024
- Plymouth260,203
- Swindon201,669
- Bournemouth163,600
- Gloucester132,416
- Exeter130,709
Questions
What is the population of South West England in 2026?
Is South West England’s population growing or shrinking?
How does South West England rank in the UK?
What is the population density of South West England?
What is the largest city in South West 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 West England population, Office for National Statistics, mid-2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-kingdom/south-west-england/
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