Sunderland population, 2001–2024
Sunderland has an estimated population of 288,606 (mid-2024), up 1.4% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Sunderland local authority area.
288,606
population, mid-2024
+1.4%
since 2001
+4.7%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (288,606)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 288,606 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 283,606 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 278,013 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 274,378 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 273,583 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 274,277 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 274,339 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 274,816 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 275,490 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 275,408 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 275,751 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 275,247 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 275,317 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 275,330 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 275,980 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 276,209 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 276,812 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 277,834 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 278,370 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 279,199 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 280,113 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 281,528 | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 283,037 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 284,601 | — |
Food businesses
Sunderland has 372 takeaways, 376 restaurants and cafés and 196 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.99 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 12.9 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Sunderland local authority area (code E08000024), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.