Mid-year population estimates

Key figures

The population in Lancashire-12 in mid-2025 was estimated to be 1,308,567.
The population in Lancashire-14 in mid-2025 was estimated to be 1,615,860.
The median age was 42.5.
In the year to mid-2025, in Lancashire-12 there were 1,998 more deaths than births (Lancashire-14 = 2,009).

Change from mid-2024

In Lancashire-12, the population grew by 1.2% between mid-2024 and mid-2025. In Lancashire-14, there was a 1.2% growth in the population. In both Lancashire-12 and Lancashire-14, the rate of population growth was above England (0.4%).

In the 12 months to mid-2025, the fastest growing local authority in the Lancashire-14 area was Wyre. Preston, Ribble Valley and Burnley had growth rates of about 1.8%. The population in Lancaster City district fell by 95 in the year to mid-2025.

In Lancashire-12, the 65 and over age group saw a higher annual growth rate, 2.4% (Lancashire-14 = 2.2%), than the 0-15 group, 0.2% (Lancashire-14 = 0.1%) and the 16-64 group, 1.2% (Lancashire-14 = 1.1%). In both Lancashire-12 and Lancashire-14, the growth rates in all of these age groups were above England.

Components of change

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-2025 (591 in Fylde and 785 in Wyre), although the median age in Lancaster was near the average and still saw 457 more deaths than births.

Net internal migration was 12,556 in Lancashire-12 (Lancashire-14 = 12,608), ranging from +2,556 in Wyre to -296 in Blackpool and -233 in Pendle.

Net international migration in the year to mid-2025 was 5,274 in Lancashire-12 (Lancashire-14 = 7,504), ranging from 1,352 in Preston to 29 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	50,944	50,002	100,946	1,094	1,036	906	781	6	38.9
Chorley	60,921	60,893	121,814	970	1,222	1,310	192	-15	44
Fylde	44,129	42,560	86,689	570	1,161	1,407	166	254	52.3
Hyndburn	43,489	43,419	86,908	944	864	342	590	1	39.2
Lancaster	73,412	71,825	145,237	1,078	1,535	118	248	-4	41.5
Pendle	50,138	50,065	100,203	1,136	943	-233	590	10	39.5
Preston	81,847	82,651	164,498	1,943	1,390	1,029	1,352	-29	35.7
Ribble Valley	34,192	32,746	66,938	473	713	1,374	29	14	48.6
Rossendale	37,579	36,109	73,688	636	723	676	248	10	42.3
South Ribble	59,994	57,560	117,554	983	1,082	1,534	376	16	44.2
West Lancashire	64,015	59,549	123,564	946	1,317	1,537	337	7	44.1
Wyre	61,734	58,794	120,528	831	1,616	2,556	365	26	51
Lancashire-12	662,394	646,173	1,308,567	11,604	13,602	12,556	5,274	296	42.5
Blackburn with Darwen	81,927	81,874	163,801	1,938	1,391	348	1,281	7	36.5
Blackpool	71,934	71,558	143,492	1,362	1,920	-296	949	44	43.2
Lancashire-14	816,255	799,605	1,615,860	14,904	16,913	12,608	7,504	347	41.9
North West	3,944,436	3,828,418	7,772,854	74,041	75,969	23,771	34,627	278	40.3
England	29,994,357	28,840,455	58,834,812	561,503	532,711	-10,816	210,034	-368	40.6
England and Wales	31,615,275	30,394,718	62,009,993	587,976	568,352	-5,940	211,691	-501	40.7

Mid-year population estimates, 2025

Source: Mid-year populations for England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics.

Page updated 31 July 2026