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Wealden, in numbers

People and living standards: Wealden

Wealden local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.

How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.

Wealden local authority area. These are council-area figures. They are not a separate history for every ward or the city centre.

More people? A different age mix?

The population grew from 130,857 in 1991 to 168,308 in 2025.

A growing number of children, working-age adults or older residents can mean different needs for homes, schools, jobs and care.

Population

1996 to 2025

Wealden council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 135,737 people in 1996; 168,308 people in 2025. 24% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Population — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991130,857
1992132,584
1993132,547
1994133,461
1995134,457
1996135,737
1997137,290
1998139,320
1999139,412
2000139,795
2001140,184
2002141,150
2003142,444
2004143,404
2005144,084
2006145,094
2007146,207
2008146,539
2009146,612
2010147,861
2011149,415
2012150,608
2013151,825
2014154,017
2015155,361
2016156,056
2017156,379
2018156,791
2019157,543
2020158,291
2021160,711
2022162,974
2023164,834
2024166,776
2025168,308
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

Wealden council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 26,551 people in 1996; 27,495 people in 2025. 3.6% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 0 to 15 — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199125,174
199225,602
199325,776
199426,150
199526,405
199626,551
199726,804
199827,163
199926,937
200026,920
200126,976
200227,219
200327,440
200427,318
200527,104
200626,941
200726,772
200826,500
200926,350
201026,301
201126,523
201226,488
201326,459
201426,542
201526,617
201626,521
201726,407
201826,440
201926,347
202026,291
202126,575
202226,979
202327,278
202427,525
202527,495
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

Wealden council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 80,670 people in 1996; 94,389 people in 2025. 17% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 16 to 64 — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199177,322
199278,554
199378,314
199478,880
199579,572
199680,670
199781,848
199883,419
199983,289
200083,469
200183,575
200284,076
200384,946
200485,774
200586,385
200687,400
200788,107
200887,922
200987,420
201087,884
201188,454
201288,067
201387,894
201488,775
201589,348
201689,378
201789,250
201889,187
201989,519
202089,909
202191,358
202292,274
202392,967
202493,648
202594,389
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

Wealden council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 28,516 people in 1996; 46,424 people in 2025. 62.8% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 65 or over — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199128,361
199228,428
199328,457
199428,431
199528,480
199628,516
199728,638
199828,738
199929,186
200029,406
200129,633
200229,855
200330,058
200430,312
200530,595
200630,753
200731,328
200832,117
200932,842
201033,676
201134,438
201236,053
201337,472
201438,700
201539,396
201640,157
201740,722
201841,164
201941,677
202042,091
202142,778
202243,721
202344,589
202445,603
202546,424
Source →

Population growth alone does not show whether services are under pressure. Capacity, location and residents’ needs also matter.

How residents described their ethnic group

These are census snapshots, not annual estimates. Open a year to see both the number of people and their share of the population.

2021 census · 160,152 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wealden · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2,2501.4%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African6460.4%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2,7091.7%
White153,80996%
Other ethnic group7380.5%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2011 census · 148,915 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wealden · 2011
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White145,17397.5%
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups1,4281%
Asian/Asian British1,7191.2%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British3430.2%
Other ethnic group2520.2%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →
2001 census · 140,023 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · Wealden · 2001
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White137,63598.3%
Mixed9230.7%
Asian/Asian British5490.4%
Black/Black British2520.2%
Chinese/Other6640.5%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →

A complete, comparable 30-year ethnicity history is not available for every current area. Missing years have not been estimated.

How comfortable is life here?

Pay, housing costs, health and opportunities tell different parts of the story. An area average can hide large differences between households.

In 2024, average disposable income per person was 20.4% above the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

Wealden council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: £13,689 per person in 1997; £31,270 per person in 2024. 128.4% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Money available to spend or save per person — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
199713,689
199813,827
199914,363
200015,137
200115,743
200215,913
200316,123
200416,505
200517,327
200617,937
200719,442
200819,974
200919,985
201020,670
201120,218
201220,688
201321,849
201422,071
201523,489
201623,908
201724,159
201824,747
201925,544
202024,999
202126,726
202227,950
202329,520
202431,270
Source →
Has the gap with the UK average changed?

Above zero means income is above the UK average; below zero means it is below. Each year is compared with the UK average for that same year.

Income above or below the UK average

1997 to 2024

Wealden council area · %

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: 29% in 1997; 20.4% in 2024. 8.6 percentage points lower.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils. Displayed as the published UK=100 value minus 100, giving the percentage above or below the UK average.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Income above or below the UK average — Wealden council area: full reviewed history
Period%
199729
199827.7
199927
200027.2
200127.3
200225.8
200323.7
200421.6
200523.3
200622.5
200726.7
200826.8
200924.8
201028
201124.1
201222.5
201324.7
201422.1
201523.5
201624.2
201722.6
201821.2
201921.2
202019.1
202122.4
202221.7
202320.7
202420.4
Source →

Mixed-source official estimates: administrative records and surveys. Income here is the average money per resident available to spend or save after tax and benefits. It is not typical pay or household wealth. Cash figures do not show how much prices changed.

Adults in work

55.8%

21 March 2021 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

All usual residents aged 16 and over

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

Source →

Households facing several disadvantages

13.3%

21 March 2021 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

14.9%

21 March 2021 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

Residents aged 16 and over

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

People reporting bad or very bad health

4.4%

21 March 2021 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Average home price

£391,000

July 2026 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Source →

Average monthly private rent

£1,262

August 2026 · Wealden local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Source →

Deprivation describes several kinds of disadvantage. It is not a measure of household wealth. A change in an area's ranking does not by itself show whether living conditions improved.

See differences between neighbourhoods →

What could the changes mean locally?

Use the age profile alongside school places and care capacity, and look at housing costs alongside pay. Then check whether local plans respond to the needs shown by the evidence.

Read the local action plan →
Which histories are missing or need care?

These histories describe the stated whole area. A consistent historical series for its current wards has not been established.

1991 ethnicity has not been reconstructed to this current area. No annual ethnicity values are inferred between census dates.

These local income figures include inflation. No local inflation-adjusted income series has been substituted or inferred from regional prices.

This series describes the stated council or reference area. A comparable 30-year income history for its current wards has not been established.

The reviewed release starts in 1997. Earlier income values have not been invented or joined from another definition.