Population
Thurrock has a diverse population that is increasing by over 10% every decade.
In 2001, our population was 143,300, and by the time of the Census in 2011 it had risen to 157,700. Since then it has increased by 11.6%, with the Census of 2021 reporting the population to be 176,000.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published the latest Census information at Census 2021: results. You can create your own information profile of areas in England and Wales at Census 2021: build a custom area profile.
The NOMIS: local authority profile for Thurrock provides the latest available information on the labour market profile of Thurrock, including employment, income and benefits statistics.
Age and gender
The ONS released Census 2021 data in June 2022. It usually provides new population predictions once a year. For the previous mid-year estimate reports by single age group and by gender, go to ONS: Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The table below summarises UK population estimates by age and sex based on the census of 2021.
| Population section | Percentage, rounded |
|---|---|
| Male | 49% |
| Female | 51% |
| 0 to 14 year-olds | 21% |
| 15 to 24 year-olds | 11% |
| 25 to 44 year-olds | 30% |
| 45 to 64 year-olds | 24% |
| 65 year-olds and older | 14% |
Ethnicity, religion and language
The ONS has published the latest Census 2021 information on ethnicities, religions and languages of Thurrock's population. The tables below provide a summary of this information. For full details, go to:
- Census 2021: Thurrock map – ethnic groups
- Census 2021: Thurrock map – religion
- Census 2021: Thurrock map – main language
| Ethnic profile summary | Thurrock | East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British (including White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish and British) | 66.2% | 78.49% | 73.54% |
| All White | 76.8% | 86.48% | 81.05% |
| All Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African | 11.9% | 2.92% | 4.22% |
| All Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh | 6.99% | 6.41% | 9.61% |
| All Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups | 3.00% | 2.84% | 2.96% |
| All Other ethnic groups | 1.5% | 1.36% | 2.18% |
| Religion and faith summary | Thurrock | East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 51.7% | 46.7% | 46.2% |
| No religion | 34.7% | 40.2% | 37.2% |
| Did not answer | 5.2% | 6.1% | 6.0% |
| Muslim | 4.9% | 3.7% | 6.5% |
| Hindu | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Sikh | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Main languages summary | Thurrock | East region | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 88.69% | 89.61% | 87.9% |
| Romanian | 2.9% | 0.98% | 0.82% |
| Polish | 1.51% | 1.06% | 1.05% |
| Lithuanian | 1.44% | 0.48% | 0.21% |