Local Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and Forecasts
On this page you can find locally researched population and dwelling stock estimates and forecasts for all districts in Cambridgeshire including Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire, as well as for Peterborough Unitary Authority.
We have published our mid-2020 population and dwelling stock estimates and 2020-based population and dwelling stock forecasts. They indicate that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s population is forecast to grow by 21.7% between 2020 and 2041, an average increase of 1% per year. This growth is forecast to be more sustained between 2023 and 2030 – around 1.5% per year – before easing.
Almost 100,000 new dwellings are forecast to be completed between 2020 and 2041, a rise in total dwelling stock of 26.8%.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: Mid-2011 to Mid-2020 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates
Cambridgeshire County Council’s population and dwelling stock estimates to mid-2020 are produced using local data sources, and build from Census 2011.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mid-2011 to Mid-2020 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: 2020-Based Population and Dwelling Stock Forecasts
Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2020-based population and dwelling stock forecasts build on the mid-2020 population and dwelling stock estimates, and forecast ahead to 2041. The population and dwelling stock forecasts are ‘policy-led’, so that they are consistent with planned levels of house-building. The 2020-based population and dwelling stock forecasts are mainly based on the local authorities’ published 2021 housing trajectories, with some interpolation and extrapolation by Cambridgeshire County Council.
An update to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2020-Based Population Forecasts was published on 4th April 2022, replacing the original version published on 24th March 2022.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2020-Based Population Forecasts
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2020-Based Dwelling Stock Forecasts
St. Neots: historic population methodology note
St Neots population estimates methodology note Dec 2018
Historic Population
Importance of historic population records
The Census in the UK has been conducted every 10 years since 1801. Over this time there have been numerous changes to the administrative boundaries, such as the amalgamation and deletion of wards and parishes, or the creation of new ones. These occur for a range of reasons, but usually to better distribute the population for administrative purposes.
Without knowledge about boundary changes it can be difficult to understand changes observed in populations, or make comparisons of areas over time. For example, moving a parish boundary may cause a population to increase on paper, within a given parish, but only because part of the population of a neighbouring parish has been incorporated, and not because a sudden influx of new residents.
The full dataset can be found on our Open Data Portal.
Local records
Cambridgeshire County Council have tried to keep a record of the changes to parishes over time, and the estimated populations as published by each Census, since 1801. This way we are better able to explain apparent changes to the populations estimated by each Census. You will find the most up to date versions of these records on our Open Data Portal.
Interactive Report
Use the drop down menus above to select between different wards and districts.