Age and gender

Tower Hamlets has the third largest percentage of 20 to 34 year olds of all local authorities in the country

While London has a young population, Tower Hamlets has an even younger population. The borough has the third largest percentage of 20-34 year olds (37 per cent) of all local authorities in the country. Fifty-nine percent of the population are 15-44 year olds compared with 42 per cent for this age group in the country as a whole.

The situation is reversed for 45-79 year olds where the proportion is 20 per cent, the smallest of any local authority in the country. Just eight per cent of the population are over 65 compared to 16 per cent in the rest of the country (all figures based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-2007 population estimates).

• View the projected age group population graphs up to 2021 for Tower Hamlets and London (PDF, 43k)
• View the proportion of the area population falling into given age groups (PDF, 26k)

This young population profile is set to continue. Within the context of the growing population size projected up to 2026, the proportion of 20-34 year olds is expected to fall by seven per cent. This, however, is off-set by the under 20s holding their proportion in the population (26 per cent) over the same period (ONS 2006-based subnational projections).

The proportion of 50-64 year olds is projected to rise by three per cent, tracking the corresponding figure for London; the 50 plus age group, however, composes only one sixth of Tower Hamlets’ population and this proportion is expected to remain more or less the same up to 2026.

• View proportion of the population falling into selected age groups projected up to 2026 (PDF, 18k)

Tower Hamlets has a population where there are 104 males to every 100 females. It ranks seventh amongst the 32 authorities in the country where the ratio favours males. The City of London tops this list having 122 males to every 100 females. In the country as a whole there are 97 males to every 100 females (ONS mid-2007 population estimates).

When looked at by age group the borough’s sex ratio shows much greater variation compared to Inner London and London, rising to a high of 138 males to every 100 females for 40-44 year olds (ONS mid-2007 population estimates).

• View sex ratio by age group for Tower Hamlets, Inner London and London (PDF, 18k)

The projections up to 2026, by age and gender, suggest that there will be no major changes in the profile of the population. While there will be significant growth in the borough’s population, the pattern of age and gender will remain roughly similar to that in the 2001 Census. The same can also be said for London as whole.

• View graphs showing similarity in the age profile over the next 20 years (PDF, 22k)
• View graphs showing similarity in the sex ratio over the next 20 years (PDF, 25k)