Local Population Estimates and Forecasts

Local Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and Forecasts

On this page you can find locally researched population and dwelling stock estimates and forecasts for all districts in Cambridgeshire including Cambridge City, East Cambridgeshire,  Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire, as well as for Peterborough Unitary Authority.

Cambridgeshire: Mid-2011 to Mid-2015 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and 2015-Based Forecasts

Cambridgeshire County Council ‘s population and dwelling stock estimates are produced using local data sources, and build on from Census 2011.

Cambridgeshire – Mid-2011 to Mid-2015 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates

Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts build on the mid-2015 population and dwelling stock estimates, and forecast ahead to 2036. The population and dwelling stock forecasts are ‘policy-led’, so that they are consistent with planned levels of house-building. The 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts are mainly based on the local authorities’ 2015 housing trajectories, with some interpolation and extrapolation by Cambridgeshire County Council. A preview of the population forecasts can be seen below.

Cambridgeshire – 2015-Based Population Forecasts by District and Ward

Cambridgeshire 2015-Based 0-19 Yrs Population Forecasts by Ward

Cambridgeshire 2015-Based Dwelling Stock Forecasts by District and Ward

The population and dwelling stock estimates and 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts broken down by district and ward are also available on our Open Data portal.

The methodology note provides more detail on the production of the mid-2011 to mid-2015 population and dwelling stock estimates and the 2015-based population and dwelling stock forecasts.

2015 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and Forecasts Methodology Note

Peterborough: Mid-2014 to Mid-2017 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and 2017-Based Forecasts

Cambridgeshire County Council’s population and dwelling stock estimates for Peterborough are produced using local data sources and build from Census 2011. The population and dwelling stock estimates are available for mid-2014 to mid-2017 based on the ward boundaries implemented in 2016.

Peterborough – Mid-2014 to Mid-2017 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates

Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2017-based population and dwelling stock forecasts build on the mid-2017 population and dwelling stock estimates, and forecast ahead to 2036. The population and dwelling stock forecasts are ‘policy-led’, so that they are consistent with planned levels of house-building. This set of 2017-based forecasts is consistent with the housing phasing indicated by a combination of the housing trajectory in the Five Year Land Supply Report published in October 2018 and the proposed housing target of 19,440 dwellings required between 2016 and 2036, as set out in EO53 Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications to Peterborough Local Plan, published January 2019. This target was subsequently confirmed in the Draft Local Plan, and was due for consideration by Cabinet on 10 July and Full Council on 24 July 2019.

Peterborough – 2017-Based Population and Dwelling Stock Forecasts by District and Ward

The following report provides more detail on the production of the mid-2014 to mid-2017 population and dwelling stock estimates and the 2017-based population and dwelling stock forecasts.

Peterborough UA  2016 and 2017 Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates and Forecasts Report

St. Neots Population Estimates: Methodology Note

The St. Neots population estimates methodology note provides more detail on the parish boundary changes implemented in the July 2009 Order, and how these changes have been accounted for in Cambridgeshire County Council’s population estimates for St. Neots.

St Neots population estimates methodology note Dec 2018

Historic Population

Importance of historic population records

The Census in the UK has been conducted every 10 years since 1801.  Over this time there have been numerous changes to the administrative boundaries, such as the amalgamation and deletion of wards and parishes, or the creation of new ones.  These occur for a range of reasons, but usually to better distribute the population for administrative purposes.

Without knowledge about boundary changes it can be difficult to understand changes observed in populations, or make comparisons of areas over time.  For example, moving a parish boundary may cause a population to increase on paper, within a given parish, but only because part of the population of a neighbouring parish has been incorporated, and not because a sudden influx of new residents.

The full dataset can be found on our Open Data Portal.

Local records

Cambridgeshire County Council have tried to keep a record of the changes to parishes over time, and the estimated populations as published by each Census, since 1801.  This way we are better able to explain apparent changes to the populations estimated by each Census.  You will find the most up to date versions of these records on our Open Data Portal.