The Council and democracy Population

Manchester's population, ethnicity and migration

Here you can access data and intelligence relating to Manchester's population and its characteristics.

Key population statistics

  • Manchester City Council has developed its own population forecasting model (MCCFM). The MCCFM 2021 estimates that the residential population in 2021 was 586,100, compared to 578,500 in 2020.
  • The 2020 mid-year estimate from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)  is much lower at 555,741.
  • The higher figure in the MCCFM take account of local intelligence such as the high level of construction, rising numbers of international students and increasing demand for school places.

Accessing population data

Local level population data from the 2020 Mid Year Estimates, and 2011 census data on ethnicity, can be found in the Intelligence Hub, where you can view and download the data on a map and a chart.

Reports

A number of reports have been produced by the council relating to the population of manchester including current estimates of the count of the population by ward and sex, and future projections for population growth. This includes profiles of children and older people in Manchester.

There are also a number of reports relating to ethnic minority groups in manchester, and migration patterns.

Download population, ethnicity and migration reports

External data and intelligence

The Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) has released briefing papers on issues relating to ethnicity from 2011 Census data. Their area profilers also allow you to profile and compare an area's ethnic group, religion or national identity from the 2011 Census.

The University of Manchester has introduced LinguaSnapp, a project to develop a multilingual landscape map of Manchester.

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