Manchester's 2026 population is now estimated at 605,521. In 2005, the population of Manchester was 455,745. Manchester has grown by 7,978 in the last year, which represents a 1.34% annual change. These population values and projections come from UK local authority population estimates (Nomis NM_31_1 official) and World Population Review Internal Projections .
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough and the principal city in the Greater Manchester metropolitan county in North West England. Manchester is the 6th largest city in the United Kingdom with an estimated population of 530,300 in 2016.
The Greater Manchester area is the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a population of more than 2.55 million, which includes Manchester as well as several cities. Manchester also has the third largest economy in the United Kingdom and it is the third most visited city in the country by foreigners after London and Edinburgh.
Manchester has a population density of 12,210 people living per square mile (4,716 people living per square kilometer) and is the 9th densest city in the United Kingdom. The area that Manchester encompasses comes to 44.6 square miles (115.6 square kilometers) in total for the city itself.
The City of Manchester has the highest proportion of non-white people of any district in Greater Manchester. The 2011 census found the racial and ethnic composition of Manchester was:
Since 2001, the share of Christians in Manchester has fallen from 62.4% to 48.7%, while the percentage of people with no religious affiliation increased from 16% to 25.4%. The percentage of Muslims has increased as well from 9.1% to 15.8%. Manchester has the largest Jewish population in Britain outside of London.
Manchester also has a percentage of gay and lesbian people that is higher than the English national average: 0.23% of people were in a same-sex civil partnership, compared to the national average of 0.16%.
There are several areas that serve as a center for ethnic minority populations, including Rusholme, Cheetham Hill, Moss Side and Longsight. There is also a Chinatown with the third-largest Chinese population in Europe.
Manchester’s recorded history started with a settlement associated with the Roman fort Mamucium, established in c. 79 CE to ensure Roman interests in modern-day York and Chester were protected from the Brigantes, a Celtic tribe in what is now Northern England. Since then, the area has been permanently inhabited.
Examples of Manchester’s early history are still evident today in the Manchester Cathedral (built in 1421) and the Chetham’s Library, which has been open to the public since 1653. The city was mentioned as a market as early as 1282.
Manchester began to expand rapidly during the 19th century as more people came to the city for work from Scotland, Ireland and other areas during the Industrial Revolution. By 1835, Manchester was the greatest industrial city on earth.
During the 2011 census, Manchester was the third fastest-growing area in the United Kingdom with the greatest percentage growth outside of London, increasing 19% in a decade. Manchester is expected to continue its fairly rapid growth in the coming years.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| London | 9,188,200 | 0.54% |
| Birmingham | 1,199,447 | 0.67% |
| Leeds | 860,894 | 0.92% |
| Glasgow | 663,221 | 0.99% |
| Manchester | 605,521 | 1.34% |
| Cornwall | 591,594 | 0.71% |
| Sheffield | 588,768 | 0.54% |
| Bradford | 570,186 | 0.58% |
| County Durham | 543,515 | 0.51% |
| Edinburgh | 540,101 | 0.88% |
| Wiltshire | 531,890 | 0.78% |
| Liverpool | 518,060 | 0.89% |
| Bristol | 504,401 | 1.01% |
| Kirklees | 451,654 | 0.42% |
| Cheshire East | 431,445 | 1.2% |
| Croydon | 415,854 | 0.79% |
| Barnet | 411,361 | 0.78% |
| Leicester | 397,462 | 1.17% |
| Ealing | 392,217 | 0.8% |
| Cardiff | 391,495 | 0.98% |
| Newham | 385,122 | 1.41% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 379,280 | 1.02% |
| Coventry | 378,024 | 1.21% |
| Fife | 376,502 | 0.23% |
| Wakefield | 375,620 | 1.08% |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 360,762 | 0.68% |
| Sandwell | 360,389 | 0.92% |
| Brent | 356,957 | 0.56% |
| Wigan | 350,509 | 0.81% |
| North Lanarkshire | 345,840 | 0.19% |
| Tower Hamlets | 343,937 | 1.8% |
| Wandsworth | 341,081 | 0.51% |
| South Lanarkshire | 337,675 | 0.54% |
| Hillingdon | 337,556 | 1.26% |
| Bromley | 337,506 | 0.33% |
| Shropshire | 337,480 | 0.75% |
| Dudley | 335,485 | 0.53% |
| Northumberland | 335,376 | 0.6% |
| Nottingham | 335,171 | 0.62% |
| Wirral | 330,714 | 0.28% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 328,349 | 1.2% |
| Central Bedfordshire | 326,829 | 1.72% |
| Enfield | 326,676 | -0.12% |
| Redbridge | 325,903 | 0.72% |
| Doncaster | 323,304 | 0.55% |
| Southwark | 317,223 | 0.39% |
| Bolton | 315,960 | 0.94% |
| Lambeth | 315,610 | -0.21% |
| Milton Keynes | 314,541 | 1.41% |
| South Gloucestershire | 314,483 | 1.32% |
| Stockport | 307,537 | 0.59% |
| Salford | 306,062 | 1.97% |
| Greenwich | 305,459 | 0.99% |
| Hounslow | 305,116 | 0.95% |
| Lewisham | 302,580 | 0.22% |
| Walsall | 300,361 | 0.79% |
| Medway | 296,482 | 0.65% |
| Sunderland | 291,624 | 0.52% |
| Sefton | 288,723 | 0.43% |
| Wolverhampton | 287,161 | 1.05% |
| Brighton and Hove | 285,339 | 0.26% |
| Havering | 282,365 | 1.1% |
| Waltham Forest | 280,896 | 0.21% |
| Rotherham | 279,932 | 0.6% |
| Kingston upon Hull | 278,303 | 0.53% |
| Derby | 278,015 | 0.7% |
| Harrow | 274,274 | 0.65% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 274,194 | 0.69% |
| Plymouth | 274,104 | 0.37% |
| Hackney | 267,843 | 0.2% |
| Aberdeenshire | 265,488 | 0.08% |
| Southampton | 262,823 | 0.65% |
| Haringey | 261,872 | -0.38% |
| Bexley | 259,894 | 0.67% |
| Oldham | 255,956 | 0.87% |
| Barnsley | 254,879 | 0.62% |
| Swansea | 254,040 | 0.54% |
| Swindon | 249,070 | 1.06% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff | 244,568 | 0.35% |
| Luton | 244,144 | 1.05% |
| Tameside | 243,351 | 0.77% |
| Trafford | 242,961 | 0.4% |
| Rochdale | 240,500 | 1.04% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 239,031 | 1.34% |
| Highland | 238,014 | 0.15% |
| Aberdeen City | 232,929 | 0.25% |
| Peterborough | 229,218 | 1.24% |
| North Somerset | 227,819 | 0.72% |
| Islington | 224,098 | 0.24% |
| Solihull | 223,421 | 0.49% |
| Merton | 219,608 | 0.24% |
| North Tyneside | 217,804 | 0.64% |
| Sutton | 217,602 | 0.71% |
| Warrington | 216,705 | 0.3% |
| Camden | 216,045 | -0.21% |
| Portsmouth | 215,781 | 0.34% |
| Calderdale | 211,806 | 0.21% |
| York | 210,679 | 0.33% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 209,330 | 0.61% |
| Westminster | 208,711 | -0.31% |
| Colchester | 204,204 | 0.99% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 204,131 | 1.02% |
| Gateshead | 203,092 | 0.08% |
| Telford and Wrekin | 201,479 | 1.4% |
| Bury | 201,135 | 0.55% |
| Bedford | 200,968 | 1.53% |
| Richmond upon Thames | 197,060 | 0.1% |
| Basingstoke and Deane | 196,925 | 0.98% |
| Basildon | 196,141 | 0.65% |
| Huntingdonshire | 194,116 | 0.91% |
| Maidstone | 193,470 | 1.51% |
| Wokingham | 193,372 | 1.64% |
| Chelmsford | 192,408 | 0.95% |
| Renfrewshire | 192,252 | 0.81% |
| Carmarthenshire | 192,251 | 0.38% |
| Herefordshire | 192,238 | 0.31% |
| Charnwood | 192,008 | 0.96% |
| St. Helens | 191,293 | 0.64% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 189,009 | 0.09% |
| West Lothian | 188,591 | 0.58% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 186,629 | 0.37% |
| Reading | 186,096 | 0.87% |
| Thurrock | 184,346 | 0.92% |
| South Cambridgeshire | 176,714 | 1.2% |
| Caerphilly | 176,555 | -0.09% |
| New Forest | 175,741 | -0.11% |
| Cherwell | 175,688 | 1.53% |
| Kingston upon Thames | 173,846 | 0.33% |
| Arun | 172,996 | 0.86% |
| Newport | 172,428 | 1.34% |
| North Lincolnshire | 171,812 | 0.14% |
| Slough | 171,455 | 1.22% |
| Wealden | 169,588 | 0.8% |
| Preston | 168,268 | 1.65% |
| Oxford | 167,837 | 0.54% |
| Braintree | 167,439 | 0.95% |
| West Berkshire | 166,526 | 0.43% |
| Knowsley | 166,167 | 1.1% |
| Mid Sussex | 165,560 | 1.17% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 165,346 | 0.86% |
| Dacorum | 163,854 | 0.75% |
| Canterbury | 163,454 | 0.42% |
| East Devon | 162,971 | 1.48% |
| Reigate and Banstead | 162,599 | 1.08% |
| Swale | 162,085 | 1.16% |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 160,991 | 0.64% |
| Falkirk | 160,499 | 0.15% |
| Tendring | 160,360 | 1.14% |
| South Oxfordshire | 160,319 | 1.22% |
| Middlesbrough | 160,100 | 1.25% |
| North East Lincolnshire | 160,083 | 0.05% |
| East Hertfordshire | 160,064 | 1.01% |
| Warwick | 158,150 | 1.05% |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 157,188 | 0.31% |
| Flintshire | 156,355 | 0.16% |
| Perth and Kinross | 155,770 | 0.44% |
| Horsham | 155,246 | 1.22% |
| Vale of White Horse | 155,051 | 1.89% |
| Guildford | 153,623 | 0.74% |
| Cambridge | 153,084 | 1.24% |
| South Norfolk | 152,906 | 1.49% |
| South Tyneside | 152,334 | 0.31% |
| Stratford-on-Avon | 152,038 | 1.96% |
| St Albans | 151,943 | 0.31% |
| Dundee City | 150,455 | 0.19% |
| Breckland | 149,172 | 0.87% |
| Norwich | 149,154 | 0.67% |
| South Kesteven | 149,047 | 0.64% |
| Bridgend | 148,747 | 0.41% |
| East Lindsey | 146,888 | 0.59% |
| Lancaster | 146,586 | 0.54% |
| Eastleigh | 146,409 | 1.21% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 145,210 | -0.22% |
| Ashford | 144,853 | 1.38% |
| Blackpool | 144,731 | 0.19% |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | 144,622 | 1.07% |
| Neath Port Talbot | 144,049 | 0.28% |
| Stafford | 143,961 | 0.85% |
| Thanet | 143,372 | 0.24% |
| Elmbridge | 143,189 | 0.44% |
| Exeter | 142,441 | 1.45% |
| Isle of Wight | 142,186 | 0.19% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 142,053 | -0.86% |
| Wychavon | 141,855 | 1.38% |
| Torbay | 141,279 | 0.41% |
| Gloucester | 141,062 | 0.88% |
| Broadland | 141,055 | 1.04% |
| Teignbridge | 140,869 | 0.83% |
| Ipswich | 140,403 | 0.05% |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 140,100 | 0.31% |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 139,460 | 0.95% |
| Winchester | 139,004 | 1.24% |
| Epping Forest | 138,963 | 0.55% |
| Wrexham | 138,848 | 0.22% |
| North Hertfordshire | 138,463 | 0.46% |
| Test Valley | 138,259 | 1.12% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 137,945 | 0.81% |
| Waverley | 136,576 | 0.85% |
| Powys | 135,533 | 0.18% |
| Bracknell Forest | 133,565 | 1.05% |
| North Ayrshire | 133,524 | -0.18% |
| Halton | 132,699 | 0.44% |
| East Hampshire | 132,608 | 1.01% |
| East Staffordshire | 132,488 | 1.08% |
| Amber Valley | 132,207 | 0.67% |
| Chichester | 131,388 | 0.95% |
| Ashfield | 131,052 | 0.57% |
| Newark and Sherwood | 130,132 | 0.87% |
| Dartford | 130,124 | 2.02% |
| Rushcliffe | 130,006 | 1.28% |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | 128,589 | 0.34% |
| Havant | 128,076 | 0.43% |
| Stroud | 127,751 | 0.82% |
| Bassetlaw | 127,409 | 0.98% |
| Pembrokeshire | 126,677 | 0.36% |
| Crawley | 126,608 | 1.04% |
| Rugby | 126,262 | 1.57% |
| North Kesteven | 125,007 | 1.03% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 124,876 | 0.83% |
| West Lancashire | 123,959 | 0.8% |
| Sevenoaks | 123,891 | 0.46% |
| West Oxfordshire | 123,677 | 1.13% |
| Chorley | 122,794 | 0.81% |
| Cheltenham | 122,657 | 0.38% |
| South Derbyshire | 122,415 | 2.07% |
| Dover | 121,454 | 0.7% |
| East Ayrshire | 121,449 | -0.01% |
| Wyre | 121,157 | 1.01% |
| Gedling | 121,133 | 0.4% |
| Gwynedd | 121,077 | 0.11% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 120,817 | 0.47% |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | 118,556 | 0.8% |
| East Lothian | 117,796 | 1.13% |
| South Ribble | 117,547 | 0.62% |
| Scottish Borders | 117,450 | 0.2% |
| North West Leicestershire | 115,656 | 1.67% |
| Fareham | 115,640 | 0.09% |
| Broxtowe | 115,512 | 0.41% |
| South Staffordshire | 115,499 | 0.47% |
| Worthing | 115,132 | 0.55% |
| Conwy | 114,783 | -0.05% |
| Mansfield | 114,428 | 0.57% |
| Angus | 114,357 | -0.2% |
| Erewash | 114,313 | 0.03% |
| Lichfield | 114,160 | 0.99% |
| Darlington | 113,987 | 0.66% |
| Mid Suffolk | 113,638 | 1.28% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 113,339 | 0.41% |
| South Ayrshire | 112,260 | 0% |
| Gravesham | 111,642 | 0.44% |
| Hertsmere | 111,544 | 0.6% |
| Blaby | 110,916 | 1.26% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 110,561 | 0.27% |
| Watford | 108,967 | 0.83% |
| Spelthorne | 108,772 | 0.79% |
| Harborough | 108,457 | 1.77% |
| North East Derbyshire | 108,382 | 0.81% |
| Rushmoor | 107,633 | 0.89% |
| Worcester | 107,483 | 0.38% |
| Lincoln | 106,418 | 0.62% |
| Chesterfield | 106,411 | 0.17% |
| Woking | 106,218 | 0.25% |
| Fenland | 106,018 | 0.53% |
| Tewkesbury | 106,001 | 1.97% |
| Cannock Chase | 105,611 | 0.73% |
| Hart | 105,127 | 0.95% |
| Wyre Forest | 104,791 | 0.42% |
| Eastbourne | 104,769 | 0.24% |
| North Norfolk | 103,495 | 0.13% |
| Bromsgrove | 103,127 | 0.71% |
| Lewes | 102,960 | 0.29% |
| Broxbourne | 102,957 | 0.52% |
| North Devon | 102,935 | 0.84% |
| Midlothian | 102,684 | 1.39% |
| Pendle | 101,708 | 0.96% |
| Burnley | 101,604 | 1.19% |
| East Renfrewshire | 101,393 | 0.78% |
| South Holland | 101,291 | 1% |
| Great Yarmouth | 100,865 | 0.17% |
| West Lindsey | 100,839 | 0.82% |
| Harlow | 100,718 | 1.26% |
| Hartlepool | 99,579 | 0.71% |
| Denbighshire | 99,000 | 0.41% |
| Babergh | 98,818 | 0.92% |
| Uttlesford | 97,607 | 1.31% |
| Rother | 97,135 | 0.52% |
| Three Rivers | 96,683 | 0.46% |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | 96,551 | -0.05% |
| Surrey Heath | 95,771 | 0.67% |
| Monmouthshire | 95,624 | 0.36% |
| Moray | 95,057 | 0.03% |
| Stirling | 94,964 | 0.4% |
| Torfaen | 94,863 | 0.39% |
| East Cambridgeshire | 94,331 | 0.76% |
| Runnymede | 94,093 | 1.07% |
| South Hams | 93,911 | 0.95% |
| Cotswold | 93,139 | 0.8% |
| Stevenage | 92,756 | 0.53% |
| High Peak | 92,226 | 0.14% |
| Tandridge | 91,750 | 0.64% |
| Hastings | 91,091 | -0.07% |
| Rochford | 91,091 | 0.71% |
| Forest of Dean | 91,003 | 0.69% |
| Castle Point | 90,969 | 0.21% |
| Mole Valley | 88,989 | 0.16% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 88,941 | -0.1% |
| Redditch | 88,293 | 0.25% |
| Argyll and Bute | 87,654 | -0.02% |
| Fylde | 87,412 | 1.14% |
| Hyndburn | 87,277 | 0.71% |
| Mid Devon | 86,345 | 0.79% |
| Bolsover | 85,204 | 0.85% |
| Malvern Hills | 84,918 | 1.01% |
| Epsom and Ewell | 84,298 | 0.6% |
| Gosport | 82,719 | -0.12% |
| Tamworth | 81,912 | 0.49% |
| Brentwood | 79,924 | 0.38% |
| Inverclyde | 78,559 | -0.2% |
| Rossendale | 73,929 | 0.6% |
| Ceredigion | 72,351 | -0.17% |
| Derbyshire Dales | 71,950 | 0.13% |
| Boston | 71,881 | 0.56% |
| Torridge | 70,770 | 0.66% |
| Maldon | 70,623 | 1.07% |
| Isle of Anglesey | 69,027 | -0.05% |
| North Warwickshire | 68,145 | 0.76% |
| Blaenau Gwent | 67,758 | -0.08% |
| Ribble Valley | 67,592 | 1.36% |
| Adur | 65,132 | 0.19% |
| Oadby and Wigston | 62,983 | 1.04% |
| West Devon | 59,924 | 0.85% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 58,983 | 0.01% |
| Melton | 54,752 | 0.65% |
| Clackmannanshire | 52,233 | 0.12% |
| Rutland | 42,142 | 0.84% |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 25,822 | -0.38% |
| Shetland Islands | 23,150 | -0.09% |
| Orkney Islands | 22,133 | 0.26% |
| City of London | 16,700 | 5.12% |
| Isles of Scilly | 2,395 | 0.59% |