Male and female populations

Published

Last updated 2 August 2023 - see all updates

1. Main facts and figures

  • 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%)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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

Percentage and counts of male and female population in each ethnic group overtime
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:

  • 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%)

  • 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

  • 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

Percentage and counts of the ethnic groups in the overall population by gender overtime
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:

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

Census Population data by Male and Female_National - Spreadsheet (csv) 36 KB

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)

Census Population data by Male and Female_(National and Local Authority Area) - Spreadsheet (csv) 5 MB

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)

Census population data by Male and Female_(National and Regional) - Spreadsheet (csv) 212 KB

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)