National park residents, England and Wales: Census 2021

Main points

• Overall, 399,400 people lived in national parks in England and Wales in 2021 (0.67% of the usual resident population).
• In England, the South Downs was the national park with the most usual residents (113,300) and households (48,600). This was followed by the Lake District (39,000 residents, 17,800 households) and the Peak District (35,900 residents, 16,200 households). The least populated national parks were Northumberland (1,800 residents, 800 households) and the Broads (6,300 residents, 3,100 households).
• In Wales, the most populated national park was Bannau Brycheiniog (33,500 residents, 15,000 households) and the least populated was the Pembrokeshire Coast (20,900 residents, 9,800 households).
• The Pembrokeshire Coast also had the largest population decline since 2011 of all national parks in England and Wales, at 7.6% (from 22,600 usual residents in 2011). The next highest decline was in Northumberland, at 7.3% (from 2,000 in 2011). The largest increase was in Dartmoor, at 1.6% (from 33,600 in 2011 to 34,100 in 2021).
• The median age was higher in every national park than it was elsewhere in England and Wales, with the highest median age in the Broads (57 years).
• National park residents were more likely to identify with the “White: British” ethnic group and the “Christian” religion, and were more likely to speak English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language, than residents elsewhere in England and Wales.
• National park residents tended to have a higher level of education than residents elsewhere in England and Wales, and were also more likely to be retired.
• After standardising by age, national park residents tended to be in better health and were less likely to be disabled than residents elsewhere in England and Wales.
• Households in national parks were more likely to be in detached properties and to own their properties outright compared with other households in England and Wales.

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