Southampton population, 2001–2024
Southampton has an estimated population of 259,424 (mid-2024), up 18.2% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Southampton local authority area.
259,424
population, mid-2024
+18.2%
since 2001
+7.5%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (259,424)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 259,424 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 257,387 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 252,178 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 247,672 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 248,679 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 249,428 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 250,803 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 250,492 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 248,662 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 244,666 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 241,230 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 239,484 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 238,097 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 235,870 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 233,085 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 230,017 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 228,447 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 227,223 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 226,698 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 226,655 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 223,589 | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 221,989 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 220,459 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 219,539 | — |
Food businesses
Southampton has 223 takeaways, 484 restaurants and cafés and 144 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.46 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 8.6 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Southampton local authority area (code E06000045), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.