Chapter 3
Liverpool Demographics and Health Outcomes
Liverpool’s diversity shapes its health challenges and progress
Liverpool is a growing city
- Liverpool is currently home to 503,740 residents. This is 54,910 more people than in 2001. Population projections suggest the increase will continue in the coming years. The number of residents is set to rise to 541,000 (+44,200) by 2034.
- Compared to other core cities, Liverpool has the 4th lowest overall population.
- Between 2013 and 2023 the Liverpool population increased by 8.1%. Manchester saw the highest increase at 13.5%. Sheffield had the smallest, at 3.2%.
- The city currently has a relatively young population, particularly in the 20-29 age group (Figure 1). The Office for National Statistics projects a substantial increase in the number of children and older people in Liverpool over the coming decade.
Figure 1: Age profile of Liverpool compared to England, ONS 2023
Summary:
- Over half a million (503,740) people live in Liverpool, and of these 50.9% are female and 49.1% are male. The median age in the city is 35.4 years compared to 40.7 years for England.
- The population age structure is detailed in Figure x. The large 20 to 24-year-old age cohort is immediately apparent and is reflective of the large student population within Liverpool. There are 59,152 people in this age group, 11.7% of the population compared to 6% in England.
Liverpool is becoming a more diverse city
- According to the 2021 Census 22.7% of our residents class themselves as part of an ethnic minority group. This equals 112,800 residents. This is still lower than other core cities,
see Figure 3. - 47,700 Liverpool residents report their main language is not English (9.6%).
Figure 2: Liverpool population by ethnic group compared with other core cities
| White | Other | Mixed | Black | Asian | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 46.6 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 11 | 31 |
| Bristol | 81.1 | 1.9 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 6.6 |
| England | 81 | 2.2 | 3 | 4.2 | 9.6 |
| Leeds | 79 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 5.6 | 9.7 |
| Liverpool | 84 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.7 |
| Manchester | 56.8 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 11.9 | 20.9 |
| Newcastle Upon Tyne | 80 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 11.4 |
| Northwest | 85.6 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 8.4 |
| Nottingham | 65.9 | 3.3 | 5.9 | 10 | 14.9 |
| Sheffield | 79.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 9.6 |
There is a strong link between deprivation and poor health within the city
Liverpool is the third most deprived local authority in the country. 63% of residents live in areas ranked among the most deprived quintile in England. 10% of areas are among the most deprived one percent. 3 in 10 children aged under 16 live in poverty. Deprivation is more concentrated in the north of the city, where most areas are ranked in the most deprived one or ten percent nationally. See Figure 3: Deprivation map of Liverpool.
Figure 3: Deprivation map of Liverpool
Summary:
- Around 63% of residents live in areas ranked among the most deprived quintile in England while ten percent of areas are among the most one percent deprived. Deprivation tends to be concentrated in the north of the city, where most areas are ranked in the most deprived one or ten percent nationally.
Poor living environments, lower employment rates and lower income are the main drivers of poor health locally with many public health outcomes for Liverpool being significantly worse than for England, see Figure 4 – Life course statistics for Liverpool 2025
