Southend-on-Sea population, 2001–2024
Southend-on-Sea has an estimated population of 185,256 (mid-2024), up 15.5% since 2001. Official ONS mid-year estimates for the Southend-on-Sea local authority area.
185,256
population, mid-2024
+15.5%
since 2001
+3.7%
last 10 years
2024
peak year (185,256)
Year by year
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 185,256 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 182,771 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 180,810 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 180,655 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 181,276 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 182,115 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 181,877 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 181,405 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 180,465 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 179,203 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 178,610 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 176,350 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 175,196 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 174,274 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 172,122 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 170,013 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 168,150 | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 165,429 | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 163,776 | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 162,645 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 161,488 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 161,437 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 161,159 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 160,362 | — |
Food businesses
Southend-on-Sea has 147 takeaways, 501 restaurants and cafés and 71 pubs and bars on the FSA's statutory register (as of July 2026) — 0.29 takeaways per restaurant against an English average of 0.49, and 7.9 takeaways per 10,000 residents. How that compares across England.
Figures are ONS mid-year population estimates for the Southend-on-Sea local authority area (code E06000033), which can differ from the population of a town of the same name. Sources & method.