London's population over time (1931-2035)
London’s population has changed dramatically over the past century. This indicator shows how many people lived in London throughout the decades, and how the population is likely to change in the future.
1939-1991: Post-war falling population
In 1939, 8.6 million people lived in the capital. Over the following decades, the population fell steadily to 6.8 million in 1991.
The fall was most pronounced in Inner London, which saw its population reduce by almost half over 50 years.
1991-2024: A Growing population
By the early 1990s, London's population had stopped falling. Since then, it has steadily grown: in 2024, the city's population reached a new high of 9.1 million.
This growth has been most pronounced in Outer London, which has a population nearly 2.5 million people higher than in 1931.
Inner London, by contrast, has about 1.5 million fewer people than it did in 1931.
More people live in Outer London than Inner London
In the 1930's, most Londoners lived in Inner London. Sometime between 1939 and 1951 this had reversed. Since then, Outer London has had a larger population that Inner London.
What does the future hold?
In the next decade, London's population is expected to continue to steadily grow, reaching 9.6m by 2035.
This is mostly driven by an expected population growth in Inner London, with Outer London's population expected to remain the same.