Male and female populations
Published
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- 1. Navigate toMain facts and figures section
- 2. Navigate toThings you need to know section
- 3. Navigate to Percentage of males and females in each ethnic group section
- 4. Navigate to Percentage of ethnic groups in the overall population by gender section
- 5. Navigate toData sources section
- 6. Navigate toDownload the data section
1. Main facts and figures
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according to the 2021 Census, women and girls made up 30.4 million (51.0%) of the population of England and Wales, and men and boys made up 29.2 million (49.0%)
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since the 2011 Census, the population of women and girls in England and Wales grew by 1.9 million (a 6.7% increase) – for men and boys it grew by 1.6 million (a 5.8% increase)
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the population of women and girls in the white ‘other’ ethnic group went up by 0.6 million (from 4.6% to 6.4% of the female population) – for men and boys it went up by 0.5 million (from 4.3% to 5.9% of the male population)
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the population of Asian women and girls went up by 0.7 million (from 7.3% to 9.2% of the female population) – for Asian men and boys it went up by 0.6 million (from 7.7% to 9.3% of the male population)
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the population of white British women and girls went down by 0.4 million (from 80.6% to 74.1% of the female population) – for men and boys it went down by 0.4 million (from 80.4% to 74.7% of the male population)
2. Things you need to know
What the data measures
The data measures the size of the population of England and Wales by ethnicity and sex, male and female. The split between women and girls, and men and boys is shown for each ethnic group.
Census data includes people in around 25 million private households. It also includes communal establishments, such as care homes and university halls of residences.
Percentages have been rounded to 1 decimal place, so some totals may not add up to 100%.
Read more about the 2021 Census.
Not included in the data
The data does not include households that did not answer the question about ethnicity.
97% of people completed the 2021 Census.
The data has been adjusted to take into account people and households who were not counted or counted incorrectly.
The ethnic groups used in the data
The data uses the list of 19 ethnic groups from the 2021 Census.
These ethnic groups were slightly different from those used in the 2011 Census ethnic groups.
Methodology
Read the detailed methodology document for this data.
You can find confidence intervals for the data in the interactive tools showing the quality and quality assurance.
In the data file
See download the data for additional data, including data for 2011.
3. Percentage of males and females in each ethnic group
| female | male | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | female Census 2011 (counts) | female Census 2011 (%) | female Census 2021 (counts) | female Census 2021 (%) | male Census 2011 (counts) | male Census 2011 (%) | male Census 2021 (counts) | male Census 2021 (%) |
| All | 28,502,536 | 50.8 | 30,420,195 | 51.0 | 27,573,376 | 49.2 | 29,177,345 | 49.0 |
| Asian | 2,093,374 | 49.7 | 2,807,955 | 50.9 | 2,120,157 | 50.3 | 2,707,465 | 49.1 |
| Bangladeshi | 216,330 | 48.4 | 321,555 | 49.9 | 230,871 | 51.6 | 323,325 | 50.1 |
| Chinese | 207,113 | 52.7 | 245,865 | 55.2 | 186,028 | 47.3 | 199,750 | 44.8 |
| Indian | 693,038 | 49.0 | 933,035 | 50.0 | 719,920 | 51.0 | 931,285 | 50.0 |
| Pakistani | 548,296 | 48.8 | 790,415 | 49.8 | 576,215 | 51.2 | 797,405 | 50.2 |
| Asian other | 428,597 | 51.3 | 517,085 | 53.2 | 407,123 | 48.7 | 455,700 | 46.8 |
| Black | 966,690 | 51.8 | 1,266,695 | 52.6 | 898,200 | 48.2 | 1,142,585 | 47.4 |
| Black African | 509,829 | 51.5 | 779,940 | 52.4 | 479,799 | 48.5 | 708,440 | 47.6 |
| Black Caribbean | 317,888 | 53.4 | 337,100 | 54.1 | 276,937 | 46.6 | 286,020 | 45.9 |
| Black other | 138,973 | 49.6 | 149,655 | 50.3 | 141,464 | 50.4 | 148,125 | 49.7 |
| Mixed | 612,867 | 50.1 | 876,085 | 51.0 | 611,533 | 49.9 | 841,890 | 49.0 |
| Mixed white and Asian | 166,041 | 48.6 | 245,110 | 50.2 | 175,686 | 51.4 | 243,115 | 49.8 |
| Mixed white and black African | 82,979 | 50.0 | 126,980 | 50.9 | 82,995 | 50.0 | 122,620 | 49.1 |
| Mixed white and black Caribbean | 215,110 | 50.4 | 261,340 | 50.9 | 211,605 | 49.6 | 251,700 | 49.1 |
| Mixed other | 148,737 | 51.3 | 242,655 | 51.9 | 141,247 | 48.7 | 224,455 | 48.1 |
| White | 24,578,477 | 51.0 | 24,851,905 | 51.0 | 23,630,918 | 49.0 | 23,847,340 | 49.0 |
| White British | 22,966,879 | 50.9 | 22,555,435 | 50.9 | 22,167,807 | 49.1 | 21,799,600 | 49.1 |
| White Irish | 276,660 | 52.1 | 263,620 | 51.9 | 254,427 | 47.9 | 243,845 | 48.1 |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 29,084 | 50.4 | 33,955 | 50.1 | 28,596 | 49.6 | 33,815 | 49.9 |
| Roma | N/A* | N/A* | 45,075 | 44.6 | N/A* | N/A* | 55,905 | 55.4 |
| White other | 1,305,854 | 52.5 | 1,953,820 | 53.3 | 1,180,088 | 47.5 | 1,714,175 | 46.7 |
| Other | 251,128 | 44.6 | 617,555 | 49.2 | 312,568 | 55.4 | 638,065 | 50.8 |
| Arab | 96,457 | 41.8 | 155,865 | 47.0 | 134,143 | 58.2 | 175,980 | 53.0 |
| Other ethnic background | 154,671 | 46.4 | 461,690 | 50.0 | 178,425 | 53.6 | 462,085 | 50.0 |
Download table data for ‘Percentage of males and females in each ethnic group’ (CSV) Source data for ‘Percentage of males and females in each ethnic group’ (CSV)
Summary of Male and female populations Percentage of males and females in each ethnic group Summary
The data shows that:
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according to the 2021 Census, women and girls made up 30.4 million (51.0%) of the population of England and Wales, and men and boys made up 29.2 million (49.0%)
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women and girls made up 52.6% of the black ethnic group, 51.0% of the white ethnic group, 51.0% of the mixed ethnic group, 50.9% of the Asian ethnic group, and 49.2% of the ‘other’ ethnic group
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men and boys made up 50.8% of the ‘other’ ethnic group, 49.1% of the Asian ethnic group, 49.0% of the white ethnic group, 49.0% of the mixed ethnic group, and 47.4% of the black ethnic group
4. Percentage of ethnic groups in the overall population by gender
| female | male | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | female Census 2011 (counts) | female Census 2011 (%) | female Census 2021 (counts) | female Census 2021 (%) | male Census 2011 (counts) | male Census 2011 (%) | male Census 2021 (counts) | male Census 2021 (%) |
| All | 28,502,536 | 100.0 | 30,420,195 | 100.0 | 27,573,376 | 100.0 | 29,177,345 | 100.0 |
| Asian | 2,093,374 | 7.3 | 2,807,955 | 9.2 | 2,120,157 | 7.7 | 2,707,465 | 9.3 |
| Bangladeshi | 216,330 | 0.8 | 321,555 | 1.1 | 230,871 | 0.8 | 323,325 | 1.1 |
| Chinese | 207,113 | 0.7 | 245,865 | 0.8 | 186,028 | 0.7 | 199,750 | 0.7 |
| Indian | 693,038 | 2.4 | 933,035 | 3.1 | 719,920 | 2.6 | 931,285 | 3.2 |
| Pakistani | 548,296 | 1.9 | 790,415 | 2.6 | 576,215 | 2.1 | 797,405 | 2.7 |
| Asian other | 428,597 | 1.5 | 517,085 | 1.7 | 407,123 | 1.5 | 455,700 | 1.6 |
| Black | 966,690 | 3.4 | 1,266,695 | 4.2 | 898,200 | 3.3 | 1,142,585 | 3.9 |
| Black African | 509,829 | 1.8 | 779,940 | 2.6 | 479,799 | 1.7 | 708,440 | 2.4 |
| Black Caribbean | 317,888 | 1.1 | 337,100 | 1.1 | 276,937 | 1.0 | 286,020 | 1.0 |
| Black other | 138,973 | 0.5 | 149,655 | 0.5 | 141,464 | 0.5 | 148,125 | 0.5 |
| Mixed | 612,867 | 2.2 | 876,085 | 2.9 | 611,533 | 2.2 | 841,890 | 2.9 |
| Mixed white and Asian | 166,041 | 0.6 | 245,110 | 0.8 | 175,686 | 0.6 | 243,115 | 0.8 |
| Mixed white and black African | 82,979 | 0.3 | 126,980 | 0.4 | 82,995 | 0.3 | 122,620 | 0.4 |
| Mixed white and black Caribbean | 215,110 | 0.8 | 261,340 | 0.9 | 211,605 | 0.8 | 251,700 | 0.9 |
| Mixed other | 148,737 | 0.5 | 242,655 | 0.8 | 141,247 | 0.5 | 224,455 | 0.8 |
| White | 24,578,477 | 86.2 | 24,851,905 | 81.7 | 23,630,918 | 85.7 | 23,847,340 | 81.7 |
| White British | 22,966,879 | 80.6 | 22,555,435 | 74.1 | 22,167,807 | 80.4 | 21,799,600 | 74.7 |
| White Irish | 276,660 | 1.0 | 263,620 | 0.9 | 254,427 | 0.9 | 243,845 | 0.8 |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 29,084 | 0.1 | 33,955 | 0.1 | 28,596 | 0.1 | 33,815 | 0.1 |
| Roma | N/A* | N/A* | 45,075 | 0.1 | N/A* | N/A* | 55,905 | 0.2 |
| White other | 1,305,854 | 4.6 | 1,953,820 | 6.4 | 1,180,088 | 4.3 | 1,714,175 | 5.9 |
| Other | 251,128 | 0.9 | 617,555 | 2.0 | 312,568 | 1.1 | 638,065 | 2.2 |
| Arab | 96,457 | 0.3 | 155,865 | 0.5 | 134,143 | 0.5 | 175,980 | 0.6 |
| Other ethnic background | 154,671 | 0.5 | 461,690 | 1.5 | 178,425 | 0.6 | 462,085 | 1.6 |
Download table data for ‘Percentage of ethnic groups in the overall population by gender’ (CSV) Source data for ‘Percentage of ethnic groups in the overall population by gender’ (CSV)
Summary of Male and female populations Percentage of ethnic groups in the overall population by gender Summary
Census data for England and Wales shows that, from 2011 to 2021:
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the population of women and girls went up for most of the 19 ethnic groups – it went down for the white British, white Irish, and black Caribbean groups, and stayed the same for the other black, and Gypsy or Irish traveller groups
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the population of men and boys went up for most of the 19 ethnic groups – it went down for the white British and white Irish groups, and stayed the same for the Chinese, black Caribbean, other black, white British, and Gypsy or Irish traveller groups
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the population of Asian women and girls went up from 7.3% to 9.2% of the female population – for Asian men and boys it went up from 7.7% to 9.3% of the male population
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the population of white British women and girls went down from 80.6% to 74.1% of the female population – for men and boys it went down from 80.4% to 74.7% of the male population
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the population of women and girls in the white ‘other’ ethnic group went up from 4.6% to 6.4% of the female population – for men and boys it went up from 4.3% to 5.9% of the male population
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the population of women and girls from the ‘other’ ethnic group went up from 0.5% to 1.5% of the female population – for men and boys it went up from 0.6% to 1.6% of the male population
5. Data sources
Source
Type of data
Survey data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Office for National Statistics
Publication frequency
Every 10 years
Purpose of data source
The Census takes place every 10 years. Census data gives the government the information it needs to plan and run public services. It is also used as a benchmark for other statistical estimates, and can help illustrate differences between various groups in the population.
6. Download the data
This file contains the following: Measure, year, Geography, Geography_type, Geography_code, Ethnicity, Ethnicity_type, Sex, Value1(% of total population) Value2 (% of total ethnic group population)
This file contains the following: Measure, year, Geography, Geography_type, Geography_code, Ethnicity, Ethnicity_type, Sex, Value1(% of total population) Value2 (% of total ethnic group population)
This file contains the following: Measure, year, Geography, Geography_type, Geography_code, Ethnicity, Ethnicity_type, Sex, Value1(% of total population) Value2 (% of total ethnic group population)