This is a modern unit which was reported on by the 2011 census. Most of our historical statistics were originally gathered for units with quite different boundaries. To give you a clear picture of long-run change, we have used our detailed information on boundaries and population distribution to redistrict the historical statistics to the modern units. More details here.

Statistical comparisons will be made with Great Britain (change comparison)

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Available Themes

Click on the hyperlinks for direct access to key graphs and tables.

• Total Population 1801 to 2011: Population grew from 1,355,811 in 1801 to 5,288,935 in 2011.
• Age Structure, in 5-year bands, from 1861 to 2011: In 1861, only 6.13 per cent of the population were aged 65 and over, but by 2011 19.58 per cent were.
• Infant Mortality Rate 1861 to 2011: The highest rate recorded was 126.69 infant deaths per thousand live births in 1861, and the lowest was 3.65 in 2011.
• Changing Industrial Structure 1841 to 2011: In 1841, 29.5 per cent of all workers worked in agriculture, but in 2011 this had fallen to 1.65 per cent.
• Male Unemployment from 1931 to 2011: The highest male unemployment rate recorded by the census was 10.34 per cent in 1991, and the lowest was 1.27 in 1961.
• Precentage of workforce with degrees 1951 to 2011: In 1951, only 2.484 per cent of occupied males had stayed in education past age 20, but in 2011 27.37 per cent of the population had degree-level qualifications.
• Proportion of male workers with professional and managerial jobs, from 1951 to 2011: In 1951, 20.55 per cent of men had these generally better paid jobs, and in 2011 this had risen to 23.33 per cent.
• Over-crowded housing, from 1911 to 2011: In 1911, 17.24 per cent of people were living in households with over 1.5 persons per room, but in 2011 this had fallen to .47 per cent.

We have created these time series for the modern local authority area by using a Geographical Information System to re-district statistics for a variety of historical units which covered the same area.

Alternative names

We know of no alternate names.

Unit associations

We know of no associations with other units.

Unit history

This unit was part of the following units:

Name	Type	Start	End	Authority
ENGLAND Dep	Country	1996		Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)

Boundary changes

We know of no boundary changes affecting this unit.

Lower level units

This unit contained the following units:

Name	Type	Start	End	Authority
CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY	Modern (post 1974) County	1996	1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
DEVON	Modern (post 1974) County	1996		Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
DORSET	Modern (post 1974) County	1996		Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
GLOUCESTERSHIRE	Modern (post 1974) County	1996		Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SOMERSET	Modern (post 1974) County	1996		Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WILTSHIRE	Modern (post 1974) County	1996	1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
BOURNEMOUTH UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
BRISTOL UA/City	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
CARADON	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
CARRICK	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
CHELTENHAM	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
CHRISTCHURCH	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
CORNWALL UA	District/Unitary Authority	1-APR-2009		Census of Population (2011 Key Statistics)
COTSWOLD	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
EAST DEVON	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
EAST DORSET	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
EXETER	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
FOREST OF DEAN	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
GLOUCESTER	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
ISLES OF SCILLY UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
KENNET	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
KERRIER	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
MENDIP	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
MID DEVON	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORTH CORNWALL	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORTH DEVON	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORTH DORSET	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORTH SOMERSET UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORTH WILTSHIRE	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
PENWITH	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
PLYMOUTH UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
POOLE UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
PURBECK	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
RESTORMEL	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SALISBURY	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SEDGEMOOR	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SOUTH HAMS	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SOUTH SOMERSET	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
STROUD	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
SWINDON UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
TAUNTON DEANE	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
TEIGNBRIDGE	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
TEWKESBURY	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
TORBAY UA	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
TORRIDGE	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WEST DEVON	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WEST DORSET	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WEST SOMERSET	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WEST WILTSHIRE	District/Unitary Authority		1-APR-2009	Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND	District/Unitary Authority			Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
WILTSHIRE UA	District/Unitary Authority	1-APR-2009		Census of Population (2011 Key Statistics)