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Doncaster · England

People and living standards

Doncaster council area. Every figure carries its own date.

Doncaster

How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.

Doncaster local authority 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 291,657 in 1991 to 323,016 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

Doncaster 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: 289,260 people in 1996; 323,016 people in 2025. 11.7% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991291,657
1992291,724
1993290,804
1994290,486
1995290,639
1996289,260
1997288,876
1998287,571
1999286,949
2000286,989
2001286,900
2002288,647
2003290,111
2004290,850
2005292,174
2006293,990
2007296,215
2008298,388
2009300,184
2010301,299
2011302,468
2012302,626
2013302,991
2014303,673
2015304,311
2016306,137
2017307,058
2018308,237
2019308,438
2020308,185
2021308,697
2022311,700
2023315,698
2024320,248
2025323,016
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

Doncaster 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: 62,746 people in 1996; 60,139 people in 2025. 4.2% lower between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199162,342
199262,639
199363,079
199463,308
199563,249
199662,746
199762,326
199861,595
199961,153
200060,634
200159,823
200259,491
200358,991
200458,624
200558,187
200657,683
200757,351
200857,189
200957,277
201057,134
201157,411
201257,159
201357,151
201457,223
201557,258
201657,517
201757,643
201857,658
201957,563
202057,473
202157,156
202257,996
202359,138
202460,048
202560,139
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

Doncaster 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: 180,724 people in 1996; 198,849 people in 2025. 10% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991185,554
1992184,765
1993182,999
1994182,098
1995181,762
1996180,724
1997180,632
1998179,902
1999179,519
2000179,771
2001180,057
2002181,756
2003183,326
2004184,160
2005185,844
2006187,929
2007190,244
2008192,169
2009193,062
2010193,487
2011193,599
2012192,501
2013191,642
2014191,151
2015191,021
2016191,809
2017191,779
2018192,238
2019191,722
2020191,095
2021191,296
2022192,739
2023194,778
2024197,333
2025198,849
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

Doncaster 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: 45,790 people in 1996; 64,028 people in 2025. 39.8% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199143,761
199244,320
199344,726
199445,080
199545,628
199645,790
199745,918
199846,074
199946,277
200046,584
200147,020
200247,400
200347,794
200448,066
200548,143
200648,378
200748,620
200849,030
200949,845
201050,678
201151,458
201252,966
201354,198
201455,299
201556,032
201656,811
201757,636
201858,341
201959,153
202059,617
202160,245
202260,965
202361,782
202462,867
202564,028
Source →

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 · 308,104 residents
How 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 · Doncaster · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh9,0862.9%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3,7421.2%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4,6031.5%
White286,95593.1%
Other ethnic group3,7181.2%

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 · 302,402 residents
How 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 · Doncaster · 2011
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White288,06695.3%
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups3,3211.1%
Asian/Asian British7,6142.5%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British2,3370.8%
Other ethnic group1,0640.4%

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 · 286,866 residents
How 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 · Doncaster · 2001
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
White280,23997.7%
Mixed1,7590.6%
Asian/Asian British3,0721.1%
Black/Black British1,0490.4%
Chinese/Other7470.3%

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 →

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 20.5% below the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

Doncaster 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: £8,536 per person in 1997; £20,640 per person in 2024. 141.8% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
19978,536
19988,761
19999,257
20009,773
200110,125
200210,273
200310,761
200411,115
200511,447
200611,818
200712,368
200812,424
200912,647
201012,823
201113,097
201213,568
201314,032
201414,616
201515,184
201615,343
201715,858
201816,263
201916,764
202016,921
202117,560
202218,359
202319,513
202420,640
Source →
Has the gap with the UK average changed?

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

Doncaster 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: -19.5% in 1997; -20.5% in 2024. 1 percentage points lower.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

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 — Doncaster council area: full reviewed history
Period%
1997-19.5
1998-19.1
1999-18.2
2000-17.9
2001-18.2
2002-18.8
2003-17.4
2004-18.1
2005-18.6
2006-19.3
2007-19.4
2008-21.1
2009-21
2010-20.6
2011-19.6
2012-19.7
2013-19.9
2014-19.2
2015-20.2
2016-20.3
2017-19.5
2018-20.3
2019-20.4
2020-19.4
2021-19.6
2022-20.1
2023-20.2
2024-20.5
Source →

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.

Households facing several disadvantages

21.5%

21 March 2021 · Doncaster local authority area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

24.6%

21 March 2021 · Doncaster local authority area

Show the workings

Residents aged 16 and over

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

People reporting bad or very bad health

6.9%

21 March 2021 · Doncaster local authority area

Show the workings

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Average home price

£172,000

July 2026 · Doncaster local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

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.

Source →

Average monthly private rent

£694

August 2026 · Doncaster local authority area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

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.

Source →

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.

See differences between neighbourhoods →

What could the changes mean locally?

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.

Read the local action plan →
Which histories are missing or need care?

These histories describe the stated whole area. A consistent historical series for its current wards has not been established.

1991 ethnicity has not been reconstructed to this current area. No annual ethnicity values are inferred between census dates.

These local income figures include inflation. No local inflation-adjusted income series has been substituted or inferred from regional prices.

This series describes the stated council or reference area. A comparable 30-year income history for its current wards has not been established.

The reviewed release starts in 1997. Earlier income values have not been invented or joined from another definition.