Bolton population, 2001–2024
Bolton has an estimated population of 310,085 (mid-2024), up 18.7% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Bolton local authority area.
310,085
population, mid-2024
+18.7%
since 2001
+9.5%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (310,085)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 310,085 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 305,575 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 299,957 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 296,169 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 295,712 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 294,888 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 291,594 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 289,684 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 287,253 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 284,972 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 283,212 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 281,629 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 279,738 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 277,296 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 275,168 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 273,049 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 270,497 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 268,319 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 266,816 | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 265,016 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 264,511 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 263,814 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 262,367 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 261,302 | — |
Food businesses
Bolton has 360 takeaways, 507 restaurants and cafés and 173 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.71 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 11.6 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Bolton local authority area (code E08000001), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.