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Westmorland and Furness Counts — Westmorland and Furness, in numbers.Local help →

Westmorland and Furness, in numbers

People and living standards

Westmorland and Furness council area. Every figure carries its own date.

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

Westmorland and Furness council 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 217,425 in 1991 to 231,307 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

Westmorland and Furness 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: 219,817 people in 1996; 231,307 people in 2025. 5.2% 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.

Population — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991217,425
1992217,741
1993218,638
1994218,652
1995218,909
1996219,817
1997221,173
1998222,405
1999223,018
2000223,694
2001224,236
2002224,049
2003224,720
2004225,910
2005226,544
2006226,498
2007226,929
2008226,763
2009226,781
2010226,250
2011225,271
2012224,550
2013224,048
2014224,164
2015224,523
2016224,754
2017225,235
2018225,685
2019226,162
2020225,995
2021226,941
2022227,590
2023228,504
2024229,821
2025231,307
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

Westmorland and Furness 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: 41,450 people in 1996; 33,542 people in 2025. 19.1% lower 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 — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199140,425
199240,781
199341,170
199441,372
199541,425
199641,450
199741,533
199841,593
199941,808
200041,763
200141,646
200241,153
200340,716
200440,393
200539,932
200639,360
200738,962
200838,328
200937,907
201037,136
201136,638
201236,121
201335,745
201435,311
201535,189
201635,062
201734,989
201834,864
201934,840
202034,464
202134,230
202234,057
202334,073
202433,829
202533,542
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

Westmorland and Furness 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: 137,167 people in 1996; 135,090 people in 2025. 1.5% lower 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 — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991137,045
1992136,695
1993136,882
1994136,550
1995136,505
1996137,167
1997138,129
1998139,019
1999139,364
2000139,577
2001139,592
2002139,513
2003140,136
2004140,995
2005141,562
2006141,643
2007141,927
2008141,581
2009140,865
2010140,104
2011138,650
2012136,574
2013135,118
2014134,512
2015134,132
2016133,795
2017133,864
2018133,926
2019133,479
2020133,390
2021134,151
2022134,212
2023134,356
2024134,652
2025135,090
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

Westmorland and Furness 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: 41,200 people in 1996; 62,675 people in 2025. 52.1% 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.

People aged 65 or over — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199139,955
199240,265
199340,586
199440,730
199540,979
199641,200
199741,511
199841,793
199941,846
200042,354
200142,998
200243,383
200343,868
200444,522
200545,050
200645,495
200746,040
200846,854
200948,009
201049,010
201149,983
201251,855
201353,185
201454,341
201555,202
201655,897
201756,382
201856,895
201957,843
202058,141
202158,560
202259,321
202360,075
202461,340
202562,675
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 · 226,593 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 · Westmorland and Furness · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2,1961%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5880.3%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1,9520.9%
White221,13697.6%
Other ethnic group7210.3%

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 →

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 1.3% above the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

Westmorland and Furness 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: £10,440 per person in 1997; £26,301 per person in 2024. 151.9% 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 — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
199710,440
199810,837
199911,071
200011,338
200112,197
200212,588
200312,903
200413,494
200514,022
200614,639
200715,175
200815,537
200916,239
201016,586
201116,589
201217,381
201318,079
201418,646
201519,416
201619,477
201719,854
201820,329
201921,060
202021,007
202121,625
202222,894
202324,846
202426,301
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

Westmorland and Furness 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: -1.6% in 1997; 1.3% in 2024. 2.9 percentage points higher.

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 — Westmorland and Furness council area: full reviewed history
Period%
1997-1.6
19980.1
1999-2.1
2000-4.7
2001-1.4
2002-0.5
2003-1
2004-0.6
2005-0.3
20060
2007-1.1
2008-1.3
20091.4
20102.7
20111.8
20122.9
20133.2
20143.1
20152.1
20161.1
20170.8
2018-0.4
2019-0.1
20200.1
2021-1
2022-0.3
20231.6
20241.3
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.

Adults in work

56.5%

21 March 2021 · Westmorland and Furness council area

Show the workings

All usual residents aged 16 and over

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly. Current-authority counts sum its complete, non-overlapping current ward output-area counts; former-authority totals have not been relabelled.

Source →

Households facing several disadvantages

14.8%

21 March 2021 · Westmorland and Furness council area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

16%

21 March 2021 · Westmorland and Furness council 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

5.2%

21 March 2021 · Westmorland and Furness council 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

£230,000

July 2026 · Westmorland and Furness council 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

£816

August 2026 · Westmorland and Furness council 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?

No counts returned for this exact present-day area code in the 2001 census table. Older boundaries have not been reassigned by name or population share.

No counts returned for this exact present-day area code in the 2011 census table. Older boundaries have not been reassigned by name or population share.

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.