The population passed 140,000
Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of South Kesteven increased by 7.2%, from just under 133,800 in 2011 to around 143,400 in 2021.
The population here increased by a smaller percentage than the overall population of the East Midlands (7.7%), but at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 6.6% since the 2011 Census).
In 2021, South Kesteven was home to around 1.1 people per football pitch-sized piece of land, compared with 1.0 in 2011. This area was among the lowest 15% for population density across English local authority areas at the last census.
This article generally uses percentages to enable comparisons over time and between areas. The percentage point change is also used to show the difference between the 2011 and 2021 percentages.
Population growth was lower in South Kesteven than across the East Midlands
Percentage population change, South Kesteven and surrounding areas, 2011 Census to Census 2021
England ▲6.6% East Midlands ▲7.7% South Kesteven ▲7.2%
-2 | -0.5 | 0.5 | +2 | +8 | +16% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021
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An older South Kesteven
Between the last two censuses, the median age of South Kesteven increased by three years, from 43 to 46 years of age.
The median age is the age of the person in the middle of the group, meaning that one half of the group is younger than that person and the other half is older.
This area had a higher median age than the East Midlands as a whole in 2021 (41 years) and a higher median age than England (40 years).
The number of people aged 65 to 74 years rose by just over 3,900 (an increase of 28.3%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by around 3,100 (10.5% decrease).
The share of residents aged between 65 and 74 years increased by 2 percentage points between 2011 and 2021
Percentage of usual residents by age group, South KestevenEast MidlandsEngland
0% 2011 2021
comparisons
Classification | Percentage in South Kesteven | Percentage in undefined |
---|---|---|
85 years and over | 2.6% 2.9% | |
75 to 84 years | 6.1% 7.8% | |
65 to 74 years | 10.3% 12.3% | |
50 to 64 years | 20.9% 21.9% | |
35 to 49 years | 21.8% 18.2% | |
25 to 34 years | 10.4% 10.9% | |
20 to 24 years | 4.7% 4.3% | |
16 to 19 years | 4.7% 4.0% | |
10 to 15 years | 7.5% 7.3% | |
5 to 9 years | 5.4% 5.7% | |
4 years and under | 5.6% 4.7% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021about:blankSave as image (PNG <100KB)Save as table (CSV <100KB)Show embed code
Fewer couples without children
South Kesteven saw the East Midlands’ second-largest percentage-point fall in the share of households including a couple but no children (from 22.2% in 2011 to 19.8% in 2021).
Across the region, only Rutland saw a greater fall in the percentage of households including a couple but no children (from 22.3% to 19.8%).
Despite the decrease, South Kesteven was in the highest 15% of English local authority areas for the share of households including a couple but no children in 2021.
The percentage of households including a couple without children in South Kesteven decreased by 2.3 percentage points
Percentage of households by household composition, South KestevenEast MidlandsEngland
0% 2011 2021
comparisons
Classification | Percentage in South Kesteven | Percentage in undefined |
---|---|---|
One-person household: Aged 66 years and over (Aged 65 years and over in 2011) | 12.8% 14.1% | |
One-person household: Other | 14.4% 14.9% | |
Single-family household: Cohabiting-couple family: No children | 22.2% 19.8% | |
Single-family household: Cohabiting-couple family: With dependent children | 20.6% 18.7% | |
Single-family household: Cohabiting-couple family: All children non-dependent | 5.9% 6.1% | |
Single-family household: Lone-parent household | 8.9% 9.4% | |
Other household types | 15.2% 17.0% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021about:blankSave as image (PNG <100KB)Save as table (CSV <100KB)Show embed code
Changing relationships in South Kesteven
South Kesteven saw the East Midlands’ second-largest percentage-point rise in the share of people aged 16 years and over who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership (from 9.9% in 2011 to 10.8% in 2021).
Across the region, only North East Derbyshire saw a greater rise in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership (from 9.2% to 10.3%).
During this period, South Kesteven went from being among the highest 25% of English local authority areas based on its share of people aged 16 years and over who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership to being among the highest 15%.
These figures include same-sex marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2021, neither of which were legally recognised in England and Wales in 2011. Same-sex marriages have been legally recognised in England and Wales since 2014 and opposite-sex civil partnerships have been recognised since 2019.
The percentage of adults who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership in South Kesteven increased by 0.9 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 years and over by legal partnership status, South KestevenEast MidlandsEngland
0% 2011 2021
comparisons
Classification | Percentage in South Kesteven | Percentage in undefined |
---|---|---|
Never married and never registered a civil partnership | 26.1% 29.5% | |
Married or in a registered civil partnership | 53.7% 50.4% | |
Separated, but still legally married or still legally in a civil partnership | 2.8% 2.3% | |
Divorced or civil partnership dissolved | 9.9% 10.8% | |
Widowed or surviving civil partnership partner | 7.5% 7.0% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021about:blankSave as image (PNG <100KB)Save as table (CSV <100KB)Show embed code
Religion in South Kesteven
In 2021, 37.5% of South Kesteven residents reported having “No religion”, up from 22.2% in 2011. The rise of 15.4 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in South Kesteven. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.
Across the East Midlands, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having “No religion” increased from 27.5% to 40.0%, while across England the percentage increased from 24.8% to 36.7%.
In 2021, 54.8% of people in South Kesteven described themselves as Christian (down from 69.7%), while 5.7% did not state their religion (down from 6.9% the decade before).
There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which an person connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.Read the bulletin Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021.
In 2021, 37.5% of usual residents in South Kesteven reported having “No religion”
Percentage of usual residents by religion, South KestevenEast MidlandsEngland
0% 2011 2021
comparisons
Classification | Percentage in South Kesteven | Percentage in undefined |
---|---|---|
No religion | 22.2% 37.5% | |
Christian | 69.7% 54.8% | |
Buddhist | 0.2% 0.3% | |
Hindu | 0.3% 0.6% | |
Jewish | 0.1% 0.1% | |
Muslim | 0.3% 0.5% | |
Sikh | 0.1% 0.1% | |
Other | 0.3% 0.4% | |
Religion not stated | 6.9% 5.7% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021about:blankSave as image (PNG <100KB)Save as table (CSV <100KB)Show embed code
South Kesteven residents’ country of birth
In the latest census, around 126,400 South Kesteven residents said they were born in England. This represented 88.1% of the local population. The figure has risen from around 120,300 in 2011, which at the time represented 89.9% of South Kesteven’s population.
Scotland was the next most represented, with around 2,300 South Kesteven residents reporting this country of birth (1.6%). This figure was down from around 2,400 in 2011, which at the time represented 1.8% of the population of South Kesteven.
The number of South Kesteven residents born in Poland rose from just under 1,400 in 2011 (1.0% of the local population) to around 2,100 in 2021 (1.5%).
In 2021, 88.1% of South Kesteven residents reported their country of birth as England
Percentage of usual residents by country of birth, South KestevenEast MidlandsEngland
0% 2011 2021
comparisons
Classification | Percentage in South Kesteven | Percentage in undefined |
---|---|---|
England | 89.9% 88.1% | |
Scotland | 1.8% 1.6% | |
Poland | 1.0% 1.5% | |
Countries that joined the EU between April 2001 and March 2011 (other than Poland, Croatia, Lithuania and Romania) | 0.7% 1.0% | |
Wales | 1.0% 0.9% |
Source: Office for National Statistics – 2011 Census and Census 2021about:blank
Notes:
- This chart shows the five most common countries of birth in South Kesteven in 2021
- Please see the data dictionary for further detail on country of birth groupings
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Read more about changes in this areaYou can download the data used in this article (XLSX, 1,362 KB)
About the data
Census data are adjusted to reflect estimated non-response so that the published results relate to the entire usually resident population as it was on Census Day (21 March 2021).
Those respondents who were on furlough because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were asked to classify themselves as “temporarily away from work” to ensure they remained in the economically active population.
Students are counted as usually resident at their term-time address even if they were not physically present there on Census Day.
Percentages and percentage point changes have been individually rounded to one decimal place. This means they may not sum exactly.
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About these articles
There is an article like this for every local authority district in England and Wales. The articles have been written and semi-automated by our data journalists and are a new publishing format for the Office for National Statistics.
Topics are chosen and ordered automatically based on how relevant they are for each area, however all data are checked before publishing.
We have not included topics that were new for Census 2021 or where there is no comparability with the 2011 Census. Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.
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