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Wandsworth, in numbers

People and living standards

Wandsworth council area. Every figure carries its own date.

How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.

Wandsworth council area. These are council-area figures. They are not a separate history for every ward or the city centre.

More people? A different age mix?

The population grew from 261,976 in 1991 to 339,859 in 2025.

A growing number of children, working-age adults or older residents can mean different needs for homes, schools, jobs and care.

Population

1996 to 2025

Wandsworth council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 261,066 people in 1996; 339,859 people in 2025. 30.2% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Population — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991261,976
1992261,817
1993260,918
1994261,324
1995259,903
1996261,066
1997260,633
1998260,965
1999264,220
2000267,695
2001271,742
2002274,917
2003276,828
2004278,615
2005283,229
2006287,538
2007291,440
2008294,305
2009299,347
2010302,620
2011307,710
2012312,262
2013316,810
2014319,898
2015322,658
2016326,413
2017329,493
2018331,069
2019334,558
2020333,678
2021328,429
2022331,675
2023335,863
2024339,727
2025339,859
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

Wandsworth council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 43,717 people in 1996; 50,809 people in 2025. 16.2% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 0 to 15 — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199141,528
199242,387
199342,887
199443,315
199543,338
199643,717
199743,575
199843,415
199942,375
200041,646
200141,472
200242,269
200343,186
200443,889
200544,611
200645,212
200746,300
200847,304
200949,093
201050,231
201151,247
201252,416
201353,371
201454,188
201554,687
201655,377
201755,910
201855,912
201955,854
202055,171
202153,992
202253,284
202352,463
202451,926
202550,809
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

Wandsworth council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 185,129 people in 1996; 254,286 people in 2025. 37.4% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 16 to 64 — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991185,235
1992184,787
1993184,068
1994184,712
1995183,768
1996185,129
1997185,563
1998186,663
1999191,832
2000196,799
2001201,507
2002204,444
2003205,854
2004207,336
2005211,381
2006215,475
2007218,621
2008220,567
2009223,691
2010225,628
2011229,384
2012232,053
2013235,221
2014237,013
2015238,927
2016241,525
2017243,594
2018244,739
2019247,778
2020247,333
2021242,792
2022245,994
2023250,370
2024253,985
2025254,286
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

Wandsworth council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 32,220 people in 1996; 34,764 people in 2025. 7.9% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 65 or over — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199135,213
199234,643
199333,963
199433,297
199532,797
199632,220
199731,495
199830,887
199930,013
200029,250
200128,763
200228,204
200327,788
200427,390
200527,237
200626,851
200726,519
200826,434
200926,563
201026,761
201127,079
201227,793
201328,218
201428,697
201529,044
201629,511
201729,989
201830,418
201930,926
202031,174
202131,645
202232,397
202333,030
202433,816
202534,764
Source →

Population growth alone does not show whether services are under pressure. Capacity, location and residents’ needs also matter.

How residents described their ethnic group

These are census snapshots, not annual estimates. Open a year to see both the number of people and their share of the population.

2021 census · 327,506 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wandsworth · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh38,31411.7%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African33,06210.1%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups20,5986.3%
White222,09067.8%
Other ethnic group13,4424.1%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2011 census · 306,995 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wandsworth · 2011
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White219,21671.4%
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups15,2415%
Asian/Asian British33,33810.9%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British32,75610.7%
Other ethnic group6,4442.1%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2001 census · 260,380 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wandsworth · 2001
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White202,97878%
Mixed8,7283.4%
Asian/Asian British18,0446.9%
Black/Black British25,0669.6%
Chinese/Other5,5642.1%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →

A complete, comparable 30-year ethnicity history is not available for every current area. Missing years have not been estimated.

How comfortable is life here?

Pay, housing costs, health and opportunities tell different parts of the story. An area average can hide large differences between households.

In 2024, average disposable income per person was 91.5% above the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

Wandsworth council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: £13,909 per person in 1997; £49,715 per person in 2024. 257.4% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Money available to spend or save per person — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
199713,909
199815,445
199917,122
200019,115
200119,701
200219,581
200320,152
200421,735
200523,957
200626,086
200729,161
200830,304
200930,316
201029,228
201127,844
201229,387
201331,634
201433,933
201535,802
201636,487
201736,712
201838,854
201939,626
202038,497
202141,579
202244,129
202346,718
202449,715
Source →
Has the gap with the UK average changed?

Above zero means income is above the UK average; below zero means it is below. Each year is compared with the UK average for that same year.

Income above or below the UK average

1997 to 2024

Wandsworth council area · %

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: 31.1% in 1997; 91.5% in 2024. 60.4 percentage points higher.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils. Displayed as the published UK=100 value minus 100, giving the percentage above or below the UK average.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Income above or below the UK average — Wandsworth council area: full reviewed history
Period%
199731.1
199842.7
199951.4
200060.6
200159.3
200254.8
200354.6
200460.1
200570.4
200678.1
200790
200892.4
200989.3
201081
201170.9
201274
201380.6
201487.6
201588.2
201689.5
201786.3
201890.4
201988.1
202083.4
202190.3
202292.2
202391.1
202491.5
Source →

Mixed-source official estimates: administrative records and surveys. Income here is the average money per resident available to spend or save after tax and benefits. It is not typical pay or household wealth. Cash figures do not show how much prices changed.

Adults in work

69.6%

21 March 2021 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

All usual residents aged 16 and over

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

Source →

Households facing several disadvantages

13.8%

21 March 2021 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

9.9%

21 March 2021 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

Residents aged 16 and over

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

People reporting bad or very bad health

3.1%

21 March 2021 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Average home price

£686,000

July 2026 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Source →

Average monthly private rent

£2,632

August 2026 · Wandsworth council area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Source →

Deprivation describes several kinds of disadvantage. It is not a measure of household wealth. A change in an area's ranking does not by itself show whether living conditions improved.

See differences between neighbourhoods →

What could the changes mean locally?

Use the age profile alongside school places and care capacity, and look at housing costs alongside pay. Then check whether local plans respond to the needs shown by the evidence.

Read the local action plan →
Which histories are missing or need care?

These histories describe the stated whole area. A consistent historical series for its current wards has not been established.

1991 ethnicity has not been reconstructed to this current area. No annual ethnicity values are inferred between census dates.

These local income figures include inflation. No local inflation-adjusted income series has been substituted or inferred from regional prices.

This series describes the stated council or reference area. A comparable 30-year income history for its current wards has not been established.

The reviewed release starts in 1997. Earlier income values have not been invented or joined from another definition.