Bedford council area. Every figure carries its own date.
How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.
Bedford council area. These are council-area figures. They are not a separate history for every ward or the city centre.
More people? A different age mix?
The population grew from 135,443 in 1991 to 196,398 in 2025.
A growing number of children, working-age adults or older residents can mean different needs for homes, schools, jobs and care.
Population
1996 to 2025
Bedford council area · people
Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.
Shown on this chart: 138,023 people in 1996; 196,398 people in 2025. 42.3% higher between these observations.
131k166k201.1k
19962025
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.
Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.
This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
Population — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.
Shown on this chart: 28,832 people in 1996; 38,636 people in 2025. 34% higher between these observations.
27.6k33.6k39.6k
19962025
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.
Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.
This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
People aged 0 to 15 — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.
Shown on this chart: 88,621 people in 1996; 123,528 people in 2025. 39.4% higher between these observations.
84.4k105.4k126.3k
19962025
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.
Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.
This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
People aged 16 to 64 — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.
Shown on this chart: 20,570 people in 1996; 34,234 people in 2025. 66.4% higher between these observations.
18.9k27.1k35.3k
19962025
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.
Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.
This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
People aged 65 or over — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Population growth alone does not show whether services are under pressure. Capacity, location and residents’ needs also matter.
How residents described their ethnic group
These are census snapshots, not annual estimates. Open a year to see both the number of people and their share of the population.
2021 census · 185,224 residentsHow this census compares with other years
Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.
Ethnic group · Bedford · 2021
Residents’ census answer
People
Share
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh
23,263
12.6%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African
9,848
5.3%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups
8,586
4.6%
White
140,174
75.7%
Other ethnic group
3,353
1.8%
Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.
Source and method →2011 census · 157,479 residentsHow this census compares with other years
Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.
Ethnic group · Bedford · 2011
Residents’ census answer
People
Share
White
126,846
80.5%
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups
5,386
3.4%
Asian/Asian British
17,932
11.4%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
6,202
3.9%
Other ethnic group
1,113
0.7%
Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.
Source and method →2001 census · 147,911 residentsHow this census compares with other years
Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.
Ethnic group · Bedford · 2001
Residents’ census answer
People
Share
White
128,659
87%
Mixed
2,910
2%
Asian/Asian British
11,450
7.7%
Black/Black British
3,850
2.6%
Chinese/Other
1,042
0.7%
Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.
A complete, comparable 30-year ethnicity history is not available for every current area. Missing years have not been estimated.
How comfortable is life here?
Pay, housing costs, health and opportunities tell different parts of the story. An area average can hide large differences between households.
In 2024, average disposable income per person was 5.2% below the UK average.
Money available to spend or save per person
1997 to 2024
Bedford council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation
Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.
Shown on this chart: £11,291 per person in 1997; £24,626 per person in 2024. 118.1% higher between these observations.
£9.6k£17.7k£25.7k
19972024
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils.
Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.
This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.
These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.
The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.
The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.
Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
Money available to spend or save per person — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Above zero means income is above the UK average; below zero means it is below. Each year is compared with the UK average for that same year.
Income above or below the UK average
1997 to 2024
Bedford council area · %
Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.
Shown on this chart: 6.4% in 1997; -5.2% in 2024. 11.6 percentage points lower.
-6.6%0.4%7.3%
19972024
The line joins consecutive published observations.
Hover or tap the chart for a value. Use the date slider with touch or arrow keys. Escape closes the chart label.
Data table and workings
Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils. Displayed as the published UK=100 value minus 100, giving the percentage above or below the UK average.
Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.
This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.
These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.
The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.
The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.
Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.
The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.
Income above or below the UK average — Bedford council area: full reviewed history
Mixed-source official estimates: administrative records and surveys. Income here is the average money per resident available to spend or save after tax and benefits. It is not typical pay or household wealth. Cash figures do not show how much prices changed.
Adults in work
61.3%
21 March 2021 · Bedford council area
Show the workings
All usual residents aged 16 and over
21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.
Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.
Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.
Deprivation describes several kinds of disadvantage. It is not a measure of household wealth. A change in an area's ranking does not by itself show whether living conditions improved.
Use the age profile alongside school places and care capacity, and look at housing costs alongside pay. Then check whether local plans respond to the needs shown by the evidence.
