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Information and statistics for South Cambridgeshire district

The census is carried out by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.

This helps to build a detailed snapshot of our society.

Information from the census helps the government and others to create policies. It’s also used to plan and fund local services. This can include services such as:

  • schools
  • health services
  • roads
  • libraries

All information is anonymised and the census records are kept secure for 100 years.

The most recent census took place in 2021.

South Cambridgeshire Population Report

2021 census for South Cambridgeshire

Changes in South Cambridgeshire in the last 2 censuses, 2011 and 2021, is covered in this  summary from the Office for National Statistics. 

The highlights from the summary are below. 

Population age and numbers 

Between 2001 and 2011, the population of South Cambridgeshire rose by 9%, from about 148,800 in 2011 to 162,100 in 2021. This compares with an 8.3% population increase in the East of England and a 6.6% increase across England. 

The number of people aged 65 to 74 rose by about 3,400 (an increase of 26.2%). The number of residents between 20 and 24 fell by about 850 (a 12.0% decrease). The average age in South Cambridgeshire rose by 1 year, from 41 to 42. 

Religion and national identity 

In 2021, 9.5% of South Cambridgeshire residents did not identify with any national identity linked to the UK. This number rose from 6.8% in 2011. 

In 2021, 43.3% of South Cambridgeshire residents said they had "no religion." This number rose from 30.1% in 2011. This rise of 13.3 percentage points was the biggest increase of all major religious groups in South Cambridgeshire. In 2021, 45.3% of people in South Cambridgeshire said they were Christian. This number is down from 58.8% in 2011. About 6.7% did not state their religion (down from 8.2% the decade before). 

Marriage and civil partnership 

In 2021, 30.2% of South Cambridgeshire residents aged 16 years and over said they were not married or in a civil partnership. This number is higher from 27.7% in 2011. 

House ownership and renting 

In 2021, 68.9% of South Cambridgeshire households owned their homes, down from 70.3% in 2011. In 2021, 14% rented privately, up from 12% in 2011. The percentage of South Cambridgeshire households renting social property rose from 14.3% to 14.5%. 

The Office for National Statistics is always releasing new insights. You can explore data that interests you more by looking at census maps. You can also build a custom area profile to show data of interest. 

Health Profile

South Cambridgeshire Health Profile 2019