Age & gender

• Tower Hamlets has the largest percentage of 20 to 34 year olds of any Local Authority in the country

While London has a young population, Tower Hamlets has an even younger population. The borough has the largest percentage of 20-34 year olds of any Local Authority in the country. 57% of the population are 15-44 year olds compared with 41.5% for this age group for the country as a whole. The situation is reversed for 45-79 year olds where these age groups are smaller in comparison to the rest of the country. In Tower Hamlets just 9% of the population are over 65 compared to 16% over 65s in the rest of the country.

The population of Tower Hamlets is 51% male reflecting Bangladeshi community dynamics. However the pattern of larger male than female populations for 25 to 29 year olds is repeated for inner and greater London (figures 4-6).

Click here to view population pyramids (PDF 16k)

This young population profile is set to continue, except that the rate of increase for 20 to 29 year-olds will reverse, decreasing to just under 3750 by 2011. Decreases here will be offset however as the number of children up to 4 increases by 5012 in 2011, children and young people from 5 to 19 increases by 6189 as well, and 30-39 year olds increase by over 17,000 for the period 2001 to 2011. The number of 40 to 49 year olds is also set to increase by just under 14,000 for this period. Over 50s and above, while increasing absolutely, will remain well below the rest of London averages.

Click here to view the age group graphs. (PDF 30k)

Population pyramids for the period up to 2011, by gender and by age, show that population profiles for Tower Hamlets as well as for Inner and Greater London will remain broadly the same shape. While populations grow, age profiles will remain similar to age profiles in the 2001 Census.

Click here to view the population pyramid at 5 year intervals (PDF 22k)