Statistics and census information

North Yorkshire has a population of around 601,200 (ONS mid-2011 population estimate). The principal urban areas are Harrogate, with around 76,260 residents and Scarborough with a population of around 52,870 (2011 mid-year population estimates). Elsewhere it is a sparsely populated county with only three other towns of over 15,000 people.

The population of the County has grown in recent years, partly by indigenous growth and partly by inward migration. It has a healthy economy with low unemployment and a preponderance of small to medium sized businesses. Agriculture is an important industry, as are mineral extraction and power generation. These traditional basic industries do not tell the whole story, however because the County has healthy high technology, service and tourism sectors.

A variety of data sources, which provide a detailed analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of the County, can be accessed using the links to the right of the screen. These include information from national datasets including recent census output and , as well as data published by North Yorkshire County Council, these include annual estimates of population at parish and ward level.

Population estimates

From this page you can access reports and information on population statistics gathered by North Yorkshire County Council and other sources.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produce the Registrar General's Mid-Year Population Estimates at local authority level on an annual basis. North Yorkshire County Council then calculate small area population estimates for each ward and parish within the county, based on the ONS figures, taking into account changes in the number of electors at the local level.

These figures provide a useful indicator of population change between census years, using a snapshot of 30 June each year. They are published as separate booklets, for Wards and Parishes, with each booklet also providing a regional overview of population change and an analysis of the data in the form of a series of maps.

The latest booklets can be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat documents using the links below.