NEW data released today (December, 8) has confirmed how life has changed in Wirral since the previous Census was carried out in 2011.

The census provides estimates of the characteristics of all people and households in England and Wales on Census Day, March 21 2021.

It is carried out every 10 years and gives the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales.

The newest roll-out of data from ONS (Office for National Statistics) compares the 2011 results with the newest 2021 results to see how Wirral has changed in areas such as population, religion and age over the past decade.

The population grew very little:

Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Wirral increased by just 0.1%, from around 319,800 in 2011 to around 320,200 in 2021.

The population here increased by a smaller percentage than the overall population of the North West (5.2%), and by a smaller percentage than the overall population of England (up 6.6% since the 2011 Census).

In 2021, Wirral was home to around 14.2 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This area was among the top 30% most densely populated English local authority areas at the last census.

An older Wirral:

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wirral increased by two years, from 42 to 44 years of age.

The median age is the age of the person in the middle of the group, meaning that one half of the group is younger than that person and the other half is older.

This area had a higher median age than the North West as a whole in 2021 (40 years) and a higher median age than England (40 years).

The number of people aged 65 to 74 years rose by just over 6,700 (an increase of 21.4%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by just under 8,900 (13.4% decrease).

Fall in unemployment:

In 2021, 2.5% of Wirral residents (aged 16 years and over) said they were unemployed. This figure decreased from 4.6% in 2011.

During this period, Wirral went from being among the highest 20% of English local authority areas based on its share of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were unemployed to being among the highest 45%.

The decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were unemployed was greater in Wirral (2.1 percentage points) than across the North West (1.5 percentage points). Across the region, the percentage fell from 4.2% in 2011 to 2.8% in 2021, while across England, the percentage fell from 4.0% to 2.9%.

Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of rapid and unparalleled change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the labour market and the ability to measure it.

Religion in Wirral:

In 2021, 37.3% of Wirral residents reported having "No religion", up from 21.3% in 2011. The rise of 16.0 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Wirral. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

Across the North West, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having "No religion" increased from 19.8% to 32.6%, while across England the percentage increased from 24.8% to 36.7%.

In 2021, 55.0% of people in Wirral described themselves as Christian (down from 70.4%), while 5.3% did not state their religion (down from 6.8% the decade before).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education.

Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which an person connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.

Change in work hours:

In 2021, 9.6% of Wirral residents aged 16 years and over and in employment said they worked 15 hours or less per week. This figure increased from 8.9% in 2011.

In 2021, just over 1 in 12 (8.6%) said they worked over 49 hours per week, compared with 10.4% in 2011. The percentage of adults in employment working 31 to 48 hours per week increased from 58.6% to 60.6%.

The increase in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked 15 hours or less per week in Wirral (0.7 percentage points) was similar to the increase across the North West (0.5 percentage points). Across the region, the percentage increased from 9.1% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2021, while across England, the percentage increased from 9.7% to 10.3%.

Working hours may have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.