Council thanks residents for impressive response rate following the Census 2021 headline results

Cheshire East Council is thanking residents for their contribution to the 2021 Census, after achieving a higher response rate of 98% compared to the 97% national average.

The first set of results for the 2021 Census were released on Tuesday 28 June, following Census Day on 21 March 2021, offering valuable insight into the population of Cheshire East.

Headline results from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a growth in population in Cheshire East, which now stands at 398,800 residents – an increase of 28,700 from the previous census in 2011.

The population in the borough has increased by 7.7 per cent since the last census in 2011, compared to 6.3 per cent in England and Wales, and 5.2 per cent in the North West region.

Cheshire East now remains the third largest of the 39 local authorities in the North West – behind Manchester and Liverpool – and fifteenth largest in England.

Other key headline results for Cheshire East include:

• Cheshire East is the ninth least densely populated in the North West, with around two people living on each football pitch-sized area of land

• Cheshire East has the fifth largest population increase across the North West region, below Salford (15.4 per cent), Chorley (9.9 per cent), Manchester (9.7 per cent) and Cheshire West and Chester (8.4 per cent)

• The oldest aged group (those aged 90 and above) increased by a third (32 per cent) in Cheshire East which is above the England average (23 per cent)

• We have also seen individuals aged 70 to 74 increase by nearly half (45 per cent), which was also above the England average (37 per cent)
• Some younger age groups also increased, for example those aged 30-34 increased by a quarter (24 per cent), nearly twice the England average (13 per cent)

These latest ONS results reveal an increase in the population in England and Wales of more than 3.5 million (6.3 per cent) compared with Census Day 2011.

Sarah Bullock, director of policy and change for Cheshire East Council, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents for their support  –  the response rate in Cheshire East was higher than the national figure, which was already very high. This provides us with confidence in the evidence, so the council, and partners, can understand population change in our local area and beyond.

“The results, based on the information we all gave, will ensure decisions are made using good, up-to-date evidence.

“This includes planning our emergency services, mental health care, school places, houses, transport, health services and decisions around how much money is spent each year.

“Today we had the headline figures for Cheshire East, however, there is a lot more detail to come later in the year about our towns and villages. The council will continue to understand the census as the information is released by the Office for National Statistics, what it means for our services and implications for the council and residents.”

More national results can be found in the latest release on the ONS website. 

Further figures from the 2021 Census are expected to be released later this year.