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People and census in Rotherham

Metropolitan borough

South Yorkshire and The Humber. 279,161 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 287 square kilometres.

24 layers about people and census for Rotherham, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.

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Population by output area

Census 2021, England and Wales

Under 129379 or more

Rotherham’s 878 output areas range from 101 to 623.

What is the population of Rotherham?

Rotherham had 265,807 usual residents at the census.

Rotherham is the 71st most populated of 361 in the UK.

Population

Council
265,807
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

Rotherham had 265,807 usual residents at the census.

Rotherham is the 71st most populated of 361 in the UK.

Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Population: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 2,053 to 1,144,919. The middle area is 143,926. Rotherham is 265,807.

Population estimate

Council
279,161
ONS population estimates · 2025

Rotherham’s population was an estimated 279,161 in mid-2025.

The population rose 1.0% in the year to mid-2025.

Rotherham is 72nd most populated of 361 for population.

Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Population estimate: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 2,299 to 1,176,960. The middle area is 148,772. Rotherham is 279,161.

Aged 15 to 64

Council
62.6%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

62.6% of residents in Rotherham were aged 15 to 64 at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 63.5%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
1% lower63.5%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Aged 15 to 64: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 53.9% to 79.6%. The middle area is 62.8%. Rotherham is 62.6%.

Aged 65 and over

Council
19.6%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

19.6% of residents in Rotherham were aged 65 or over at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 19.0%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
3% higher19.0%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Aged 65 and over: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 5.6% to 33.5%. The middle area is 19.7%. Rotherham is 19.6%.

Aged under 15

Council
17.7%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

17.7% of residents in Rotherham were aged under 15 at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 17.5%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
1% higher17.5%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Aged under 15: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 6.4% to 24.6%. The middle area is 16.9%. Rotherham is 17.7%.

Born outside the UK

Council
6.8%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

6.8% of residents in Rotherham were born outside the UK.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 11.4%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
40% lower11.4%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Born outside the UK: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 2.6% to 56.1%. The middle area is 9.9%. Rotherham is 6.8%.

Disability

Council
21.1%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

21.1% of residents in Rotherham had their day-to-day activities limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 18.6%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
13% higher18.6%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Disability: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 10.7% to 29.3%. The middle area is 18.5%. Rotherham is 21.1%.

Good or very good health

Council
78.2%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

78.2% of residents in Rotherham said their health was good or very good.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 80.5%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
3% lower80.5%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Good or very good health: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 73.6% to 89.3%. The middle area is 81.7%. Rotherham is 78.2%.

Households

Council
113,925
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

Rotherham had 113,925 households at the census.

Rotherham is 66th highest of 361 for the number of households.

Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Households: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 942 to 423,456. The middle area is 60,932. Rotherham is 113,925.

Households without a car or van

Council
23.0%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

23.0% of households in Rotherham had no car or van at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 24.2%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
5% lower24.2%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Households without a car or van: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 7.8% to 77.2%. The middle area is 18.6%. Rotherham is 23.0%.

Owner-occupied homes

Council
64.0%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

64.0% of households in Rotherham owned their home at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 63.1%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
1% higher63.1%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Owner-occupied homes: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 25.7% to 82.6%. The middle area is 67.3%. Rotherham is 64.0%.

Population density

Council
928 per km²
Worked out by Open Index · 2021

Rotherham had 928 people per square kilometre at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 356 per km².

Worked out by Open Index from census population counts and the area of each place.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
2.6 times356 per km²
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Population density: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 8 per km² to 15,696 per km². The middle area is 568 per km². Rotherham is 928 per km².

Private rented homes

Council
15.0%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

15.0% of households in Rotherham rented privately at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 19.4%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
23% lower19.4%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Private rented homes: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 5.7% to 48.3%. The middle area is 17.3%. Rotherham is 15.0%.

Social rented homes

Council
20.7%
ONS Census 2021 and Scotland's Census 2022 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

20.7% of households in Rotherham rented from a council or housing association at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 17.3%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
20% higher17.3%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Social rented homes: Rotherham among every council361 areas from 5.5% to 40.5%. The middle area is 14.6%. Rotherham is 20.7%.

Degree-level qualifications

CouncilEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland only
23.1%
ONS Census 2021 and NISRA Census 2021 · 2021

23.1% of residents aged 16 and over in Rotherham had a degree-level qualification at the census.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 29.5%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
22% lower29.5%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Degree-level qualifications: Rotherham among every council329 areas from 18.2% to 74.2%. The middle area is 31.8%. Rotherham is 23.1%.

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh

CouncilEngland and Wales only
5.3%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

5.3% of residents in Rotherham identified with the Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh ethnic group.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 8.9%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
40% lower8.9%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 0.3% to 47.3%. The middle area is 3.6%. Rotherham is 5.3%.

Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African

CouncilEngland and Wales only
1.1%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

1.1% of residents in Rotherham identified with the Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African ethnic group.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 2.1%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
48% lower2.1%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 0.1% to 26.8%. The middle area is 1.1%. Rotherham is 1.1%.

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

CouncilEngland and Wales only
1.4%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

1.4% of residents in Rotherham identified with a Mixed or Multiple ethnic group.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 2.1%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
33% lower2.1%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 0.7% to 8.1%. The middle area is 2.2%. Rotherham is 1.4%.

Other ethnic group

CouncilEngland and Wales only
1.1%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

1.1% of residents in Rotherham identified with another ethnic group, including Arab.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 1.4%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
21% lower1.4%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Other ethnic group: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 0.2% to 13.5%. The middle area is 0.9%. Rotherham is 1.1%.

White ethnic groups

CouncilEngland and Wales only
91.0%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

91.0% of residents in Rotherham identified with a White ethnic group.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 85.4%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
7% higher85.4%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
White ethnic groups: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 30.8% to 98.2%. The middle area is 92.2%. Rotherham is 91.0%.

Christian

CouncilEngland and Wales only
49.0%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

49.0% of residents in Rotherham said they were Christian.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 44.9%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
9% higher44.9%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Christian: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 22.3% to 66.6%. The middle area is 47.9%. Rotherham is 49.0%.

No religion

CouncilEngland and Wales only
39.8%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

39.8% of residents in Rotherham said they had no religion.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 39.4%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
1% higher39.4%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
No religion: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 10.6% to 56.7%. The middle area is 39.9%. Rotherham is 39.8%.

Working mainly from home

CouncilEngland and Wales only
21.0%
ONS Census 2021 · 2021

21.0% of working residents in Rotherham worked mainly from home in March 2021.

In Yorkshire and The Humber the figure is 25.9%.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
19% lower25.9%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Working mainly from home: Rotherham among every council318 areas from 10.6% to 67.3%. The middle area is 29.6%. Rotherham is 21.0%.

Annual population change

Council
1.0%
Worked out by Open Index · 2025

Rotherham’s estimated population changed by 1.0% in the year to mid-2025.

Worked out by Open Index from the mid-year population estimates.

Against Yorkshire and The Humber
3.3 times0.3%
Against the UK
3.3 times0.3%
Open in mapSource and methodEvery council ranked
Annual population change: Rotherham among every council361 areas from −3.5% to 2.4%. The middle area is 0.4%. Rotherham is 1.0%.