Before we go on, let’s nail down the definition of a city. Centre for Cities focuses on primary urban areas (PUAs) - a definition created by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a statistical tool for analysing the major cities of England. It captures the built up footprint of a city based on areas of continuous built-up land containing urban structures that are within 50 metres of each other.
In 2021, there was a total of 59,597,500 people living in England and Wales and the majority of them lived in cities.
It won’t be a surprise to anyone that, in terms of population size, London is still by far the UK’s largest cities – it now exceeds the 10 million inhabitants threshold.
But for those living outside the hustle and bustle of Britain’s capital where do the rest of us lie? According to the stats gathered by Centre for Cities, here are the top 10 cities by population in England.
1. A nation of 60,000,000
In 2021, there was a total of 59,597,500 people living in England and Wales. Picture: Stock Photo: Stock
2. London - 10,076,300
With a population of 10,076,300, London is home to Westminster and Buckingham Palace, and is the capital city of both England and the United Kingdom. Photo: Adobe Stock
3. Birmingham - 2,574,300
With a population of 2,574,300, Birmingham is a major city in England’s West Midlands region, with multiple Industrial Revolution-era landmarks that speak to its 18th-century history as a manufacturing powerhouse. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire
4. Manchester - 2,538,600
With a population of 2,538,600, Manchester is a major city in the northwest of England. Home to footballing giants Manchester United and reigning Premier League champions Manchester City it is also the birthplace of Emmeline Pankhurst who organised the UK suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images