R_AGE_65_up = (AGE_GROUP:65_up * 100.0) / TOT_POP:now
| Data Role | Period Covered | Authority | Source | Details | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1851 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1851 Census of Great Britain, Ages, Table [1] , 'Ages of the People' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1851 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1851 Census of Great Britain, Population tables 2, Table [1] , 'Population Abstract' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1861 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1861 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 2 , 'Ages of Males and Females in Superintendent Registrars' Districts' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1861 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1861 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 3 , 'Ages of Males and Females in Sub-Districts' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1871 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1871 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 3 , 'Ages of Males and Females in Registrars' Sub-Districts' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1881 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1881 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 2 , 'Ages of Males and Females in Registration Districts' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1881 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1881 Census of England and Wales, Population tables 2, Table 4 , 'Area, Houses, and Population of Civil Parishes in the several Registration Sub-Districts in 1871 and 1881' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1891 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1891 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 2 , 'Ages of Males and Females in Registration Districts' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1891 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1891 Census of England and Wales, Population tables 2, Table 2 , 'Area and Population in Registration Districts and Sub-Districts and in Civil Parishes' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1901 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1901 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 26 , 'Ages of Persons, Males and Females, in the Registration County, and in Registration Districts, 1901' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1901 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1901 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 12 , 'Registration County, Districts, and Sub-Districts, with their Constituent Civil Parishes - Area; Houses and Population 1891 and 1901, and Separate Occupiers 1901' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1911 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1911 Census of England and Wales, Ages, Table 8 , 'Administrative Counties, Urban Districts and Rural Districts - Persons, Males and Females at each year of age under 21 and in quinquennial age-groups in each Administrative County (inclusive and exclusive of associated County Boroughs) and in the aggregates of Urban Districts, of County Boroughs and of Rural districts. Also Males and Females at these ages in each County Borough, Municipal Borough, other Urban District and Rural District, 1911' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1921 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1921 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 14 , 'Ages (quinquennial groups) and Marital Conditions in combination' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1921 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1921 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 3 , 'Population, Acreage, Private Families and Dwellings' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1931 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1931 Census of England and Wales, County Report Part I, Table 15 , 'Ages and Marital Conditions - Abridged Analysis' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1931 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1931 Census of England and Wales, County Report Part I, Table 3 , 'Population, Acreage, Private Families and Dwellings' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1951 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1951 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 22 , 'Ages (quinary) by Marital Condition - Abridged Analysis', for 'Urban Areas with population of less than 50,000, RD' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1951 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1951 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 3 , 'Acreage, Population, Private Households and Dwellings', for 'AC, MB, UD, RD; Wards of CB, MB; CP, NT' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1961 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1961 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 6 , 'Age and Marital Condition', for 'LAA, Con, NT' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| TOT_POP:now | 1961 | SRC | GBH Source Documentation System | 1961 Census of England and Wales, County Report, Table 3 , 'Acreage, Population, Private Households and Dwellings', for 'LAA, Wards, CP in RD, Con, NT' | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1971 | CASWEB_1971 | Census 1971 data | UK Data Service, Census 1971 data (Tables SAS06 and SAS07) | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1981 | CASWEB_1981 | Census 1981 data | UK Data Service, Census 1981 data (Table SAS02: "Age and Marital Status: All Residents) | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 1991 | NOMIS | NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics | Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table S02 Age and marital status: Residents [100%]) | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 2001 | NOMIS | NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics | Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table CS001 - Age by sex and resident type) | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 2011 | NOMIS | NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics | Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table LC1117EW - "Sex by age") | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
| AGE_GROUP:65_up | 2021 | ONS_CustomData | ONS "Create a Custom Dataset" | Office for National Statistics, ONS "Create a Custom Dataset" ("Age" (23 way) by "Sex") | Exact count provided by a government statistical office for this area |
The proportion of the population aged over 65 was close to 5% in all censuses
from 1851 to 1911, but it then tripled during the 20th century.
In the nineteenth century, the elderly can be seen as a residual, concentrated mainly in rural areas.
In 1851, this meant mainly the rural periphery: the south west, Norfolk and Suffolk, and most of Wales.
The highlands of Scotland, conversely, contained relatively few elderly people due to poor life expectancy.
By 1951, we begin to see a new pattern as people began to expect a lengthy retirement
in which some could live where they pleased.
The elderly themselves became migrants, moving to rural areas and especially to seaside areas.
By the early 21st century, the country was almost ringed by a necklace of districts with over 20% aged over 65.