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Mid-year population estimates

Key figures

  • The population in Lancashire-12 in mid-2024 was estimated to be 1,294,914. In Lancashire-14, this was estimated to be 1,601,645.

  • The median age was 42.3.

  • In the year to mid-2024, in Lancashire-12 there were 2,447 more deaths than births (Lancashire-14 = 2,500).

  • In Lancashire-12, the population grew by 1.55% between mid-2023 and mid-2024 (Lancashire-14 = 1.54%).

  • In the 12 months to mid-2024 the fastest growing local authority in the Lancashire-14 area was Preston. The population of Preston is now greater than that of Blackburn with Darwen and has become the most populous district in the Lancashire-14 area. The population in Lancaster City district fell by 50 in the year to mid-2024.

  • In Lancashire-12, the 65 and over age group saw a higher annual growth rate, 1.9% (Lancashire-14 = 1.8%), than the 0-15 group, 1.2% (Lancashire-14 = 1.3%) and the 16-64 group, 1.5% (Lancashire-14 = 1.5%).

  • Areas with an above UK average median age recorded the largest reductions in population due to natural change. In Fylde and Wyre the median age was over 50, and in both areas deaths substantially exceeded births in the year to mid-2024 (566 in Fylde and 840 in Wyre), although the median age in Lancaster was near the average and still saw 490 more deaths than births.

  • Net internal migration varied from +2,260 in Wyre to -647 in Lancaster.

  • Net international migration in the the year to mid-2024 was 11,463 in Lancashire-12 (Lancashire-14 = 15,730), 4,249 in Preston and 133 in Ribble Valley.

Mid-year population estimates with components of change and median age

Area name Females Males Persons Births Deaths Net internal migration Net international migration Other Median age
Burnley 49,923 49,310 99,233 1,070 1,059 619 1,164 14 38.8
Chorley 60,368 60,471 120,839 976 1,340 887 496 -3 43.8
Fylde 43,671 41,776 85,447 612 1,178 1,472 271 60 51.9
Hyndburn 43,235 42,823 86,058 951 992 436 906 10 39.0
Lancaster 73,498 71,508 145,006 1,166 1,656 -647 1,108 -21 41.1
Pendle 50,044 49,733 99,777 1,146 979 638 1,102 -11 39.2
Preston 81,114 81,750 162,864 1,764 1,374 -132 4,249 40 35.3
Ribble Valley 33,568 32,226 65,794 481 671 1,105 133 10 48.5
Rossendale 37,086 35,959 73,045 678 748 756 394 3 42.2
South Ribble 59,269 56,844 116,113 993 1,082 1,585 641 19 44.2
West Lancashire 63,253 58,742 121,995 989 1,354 1,687 511 5 44.1
Wyre 60,768 57,975 118,743 801 1,641 2,260 488 3 50.6
Lancashire-12 655,797 639,117 1,294,914 11,627 14,074 10,666 11,463 129 42.3
Blackburn with Darwen 81,460 81,080 162,540 1,911 1,394 373 2,468 -7 36.2
Blackpool 72,451 71,740 144,191 1,364 1,934 -110 1,799 2 42.9
Lancashire-14 809,708 791,937 1,601,645 14,902 17,402 10,929 15,730 124 41.7
North West 3,927,505 3,809,909 7,737,414 74,489 76,710 20,796 84,447 99 40.0
England 29,895,762 28,724,339 58,620,101 568,537 530,443 -18,404 667,467 474 40.2
England and Wales 31,520,864 30,285,818 61,806,682 596,012 566,030 -13,607 690,147 359 40.3

Page updated August 2025