Southwark communities: statistics

The census is a survey that happens every 10 years, carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). 

It gives us accurate information about the people and households in England and Wales. It asks questions about:

• gender
• age
• work
• health
• education
• household size
• ethnicity

The census has taken place every decade since 1801, except 1941.

The 2021 Census

The last census found that in Southwark: 

• there were 288,283 living here
• 128,471 residents said they were single
• Nigeria was the top country of birth other than UK
• Spanish was the most common main language other than English or Welsh, spoken by 6,429 residents
• 917 people said they were Jedi Knights
• there were 2,208 chefs, 2,082 solicitors, 486 caretakers and 313 clergy
• nearly a third of you (47,710) got the train, underground, tram, light rail or metro to work, while just over 38,000 people got the bus, coach and minibus

The next census is in 2031.