Wakefield population, 2001–2024
Wakefield has an estimated population of 367,666 (mid-2024), up 16.6% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Wakefield local authority area.
367,666
population, mid-2024
+16.6%
since 2001
+10.9%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (367,666)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 367,666 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 363,013 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 357,926 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 353,803 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 350,978 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 348,201 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 344,437 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 340,749 | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 337,365 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 333,908 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 331,624 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 329,888 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 327,901 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 326,433 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 325,595 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 324,467 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 323,288 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 321,650 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 320,318 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 318,765 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 318,037 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 317,469 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 316,306 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 315,380 | — |
Food businesses
Wakefield has 467 takeaways, 563 restaurants and cafés and 326 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.83 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 12.7 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Wakefield local authority area (code E08000036), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.