Population statistics

How large is Oxford's population?

At the 2001 Census, Oxford's 'usual resident population' was estimated to be 134,248.  Since then it is estimated to have increased to 151,000 by 2007. 

How many students are there in Oxford? 

According to the Census, 26% of the working age population is a student - the highest proportion in England and Wales.  Statistics show that in 2005/06 there were over 30,000 full-time students studying at Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University.

How diverse is Oxford?

In the 2001 Census, Oxford was estimated to have an ethnic minority population of 12.9% compared with 8.7% in England and Wales. Please see the document below for a more detailed breakdown of statistics:

By mid-2006 it is estimated that this had increased to 16.6%.  The ethnic diversity among young people is especially high, at 19.8% of under-16s (in 2001).

Oxford also has the second highest proportion of people born outside the UK in the South East.

The diversity of the City is being increased by migration from new European Union countries, with around 2100 migrants applying to work in the Oxford area in the three years following April 2004, the majority from Poland.

How many visitors does Oxford receive?

Approximately 40,000 non-residents travel to work in Oxford - around half the city's workforce.  This suggests that the daytime population is boosted by approximately 26,000 due to travelling workers.

Oxford also has a large number of tourist visitors who swell the daytime population - an estimated 9.3 million every year.

Where can I find more information?

A profile of Oxford's population from the 2001 Census is available on the National Statistics website.

Statistics and detailed reports about tourism in Oxford are available from the Visit Oxford website.

For more on population statistics, visit the Oxfordshire Data Observatory website under Data - Themes - Population. 

Data sources

• Census 2001, ONS
• Mid-Year Population Estimates 2007, ONS
• Higher Education Statistics Agency
• Experimental Estimates of Ethnicity, ONS
• Worker Registration Scheme data, Local Government Analysis and Research
• Economic Impact of Tourism in Oxford 2006

Page last reviewed 5 Nov 2008