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.

Mid-2011 to Mid-2015 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates

As part of the production of the mid-2014 and mid-2015 population and dwelling stock estimates Cambridgeshire County Council undertook a review of its methodology. The estimates were re-based back to Census 2011 in order to provide, for the first time, a mid-2011 set of population and dwelling stock estimates. A revised set of population and dwelling stock estimates for mid-2011 to mid-2013, using a consistent set of data sources and methodology, has been produced along with the mid-2014 and mid-2015 population and dwelling stock estimates for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Mid-2011 to Mid-2015 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

2015-Based Population and Dwelling Stock Forecasts

Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts build on the mid-2015 population and dwelling stock estimates, and forecast ahead to 2036. The population and dwelling stock forecasts are ‘policy-led’, so that they are consistent with planned levels of house-building. The 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts are mainly based on the local authorities’ 2015 housing trajectories, with some interpolation and extrapolation by Cambridgeshire County Council. A preview of the population forecasts can be seen below.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2015-Based Population Forecasts by District and Ward

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 2015-Based Dwelling Stock Forecasts by District and Ward

The full 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts broken down by district and ward are also available on our Open Data portal.

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.