Male and female populations

Published 31 March 2023

Last updated 2 August 2023 - see all updates

Contents

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

• Location: England and Wales
• Time period: 2011 to 2021
• Source: England and Wales 2021 Census

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

^* Not applicable

Download table data (CSV) Source data (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

• Location: England and Wales
• Time period: 2011 and 2021
• Source: England and Wales 2021 Census

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

^* Not applicable

Download table data (CSV) Source data (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

England and Wales 2021 Census

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)

Publication release date: 31 March 2023

Updated: 2 August 2023

full page history

1. 2 August 2023 The Source data was pointing to the England and Wales Census 2011 on this measure. Corrected it to show the England and Wales 2021 Census.
2. 31 March 2023 Updated with the latest available data.

From: Office for National Statistics

Previous edition:

1. 14 May 2019

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