Census 2021
About the census 2021
The census, which is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is a unique survey that happens every 10 years. It gives us a snapshot of all the people and households in England and Wales – the most detailed information we have about our society. Census information about our borough helps the Council to:
- shape policy
- allocate resources
- plan services
- monitor equality
In March 2021, the census survey was delivered online for the first time and took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
How well do you know Reigate & Banstead?
Before you start, why not take the census quiz to see how well you know Reigate & Banstead Borough?
How well do you know your area?
Census 2021 results
The ONS released the initial results of the 2021 Census (ONS) on 28 June 2022 and will continue to issue results in phases over a two-year period.
Here are some highlights:
- Reigate & Banstead's population has increased to nearly 151,000, some 13,000 (or 9.5%) more than recorded in 2011 (see map).
- Reigate & Banstead is the most-populated borough in Surrey (despite being far from the largest geographically).
- Close to 60,000 residential households were recorded in the borough in 2021 (up by 4400 since 2011 and also the highest in Surrey). The growth in households and population is believed to partially be the result of the new homes built within the borough in the last decade (large-scale developments in Horley for example).
- Generally, the population makeup remains similar with slightly more women than men, especially among older age groups.
- The largest increase among ethnic groups was within the ‘Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh’ category, which was 7.5% up from 5.1% in 2011. 84.4% of people identified their ethnic group within the ‘White’ category, which is slightly above the England and Wales average (81.7%).
- There has been a 11.8 percentage point increase in the percentage of people describing themselves as having ‘No religion’ (38.1%). Under half of the population now identify as Christian (49.1%), which is down from 61.9% but slightly above the England and Wales average (46.2%).
Explore the Census 2021 results
- Read more about How the population changed in Reigate & Banstead: Census 2021 (ONS)
- The ONS has also published an interactive tool which shows How the population changed in Reigate & Banstead: Census 2021 (ONS)
- Use the interactive census maps to explore data for different topics down to a neighbourhood level
Map showing the increase in population in Reigate & Banstead compared with other parts of Surrey.
Further information about Reigate & Banstead borough
- For all census information visit the census website (ONS)
- Surrey-i brings together data for the county, including census topic summaries and local neighbourhood data
- Other Reigate & Banstead facts and figures