Medway population, 2001–2024
Medway has an estimated population of 292,655 (mid-2024), up 17.2% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Medway local authority area.
292,655
population, mid-2024
+17.2%
since 2001
+6.8%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (292,655)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 292,655 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 288,003 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 282,750 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 279,903 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 280,364 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 279,852 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 278,827 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 278,652 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 277,504 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 276,037 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 273,977 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 271,084 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 268,144 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 264,885 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 262,738 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 260,230 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 258,224 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 255,824 | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 253,478 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 252,098 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 251,459 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 251,159 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 250,262 | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 249,704 | — |
Food businesses
Medway has 218 takeaways, 309 restaurants and cafés and 116 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.71 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 7.4 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Medway local authority area (code E06000035), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.