Area profile for Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
| Comparators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Percentage | England and Wales | |
| All Persons | 798,914 | - | 61,806,682 |
| All Males | 388,538 | 48.6% | 49.0% |
| All Females | 410,376 | 51.4% | 51.0% |
| 0-15 yrs | 124,033 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| 16-64 yrs | 466,984 | 58.5% | 62.8% |
| 65+ yrs | 207,897 | 26.0% | 18.9% |
| Male 0-15 yrs | 63,236 | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| Male 16-64 yrs | 229,926 | 28.8% | 31.0% |
| Male 65+ yrs | 95,376 | 11.9% | 8.7% |
| Female 0-15 yrs | 60,797 | 7.6% | 8.9% |
| Female 16-64 yrs | 237,058 | 29.7% | 31.9% |
| Female 65+ yrs | 112,521 | 14.1% | 10.2% |
Show Male/Female individual age breakdown
Source: Mid Year Estimates (2024), Office for National Statistics
| Change | Birth Rate per 1,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | - | 9.4 |
| 2006 | -2.1% | 9.2 |
| 2007 | 6.5% | 9.8 |
| 2008 | 5.1% | 10.3 |
| 2009 | 0% | 10.3 |
| 2010 | -1.0% | 10.2 |
| 2011 | 1.0% | 10.3 |
| 2012 | 1.9% | 10.5 |
| 2013 | -4.8% | 10.0 |
| 2014 | -3.0% | 9.7 |
| 2015 | -1.0% | 9.6 |
| 2016 | -3.1% | 9.3 |
| 2017 | -1.1% | 9.2 |
| 2018 | -6.5% | 8.6 |
| 2019 | -7.0% | 8.0 |
| 2020 | 1.2% | 8.1 |
| 2021 | 1.2% | 8.2 |
| 2022 | -7.3% | 7.6 |
| 2023 | -7.9% | 7.0 |
| 2024 | 2.9% | 7.2 |
| Change | Death Rate per 1,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | - | 11.7 |
| 2006 | 0% | 11.7 |
| 2007 | -5.1% | 11.1 |
| 2008 | 2.7% | 11.4 |
| 2009 | 1.8% | 11.6 |
| 2010 | -5.2% | 11.0 |
| 2011 | -0.9% | 10.9 |
| 2012 | 0.9% | 11.0 |
| 2013 | 3.6% | 11.4 |
| 2014 | -3.5% | 11.0 |
| 2015 | 7.3% | 11.8 |
| 2016 | -1.7% | 11.6 |
| 2017 | -0.9% | 11.5 |
| 2018 | 0.9% | 11.6 |
| 2019 | -3.4% | 11.2 |
| 2020 | 9.8% | 12.3 |
| 2021 | 1.6% | 12.5 |
| 2022 | -2.4% | 12.2 |
| 2023 | 1.6% | 12.4 |
| 2024 | -4.8% | 11.8 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
88%
White British
12%
BME (black and minority ethnic population)
5.1%
Main language not English
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
NINO Registrations
National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK
| Registrations | Change % | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2,857 | - |
| 2005 | 4,149 | 45.2% |
| 2006 | 4,712 | 13.6% |
| 2007 | 8,007 | 69.9% |
| 2008 | 5,401 | -32.5% |
| 2009 | 3,945 | -27.0% |
| 2010 | 4,874 | 23.5% |
| 2011 | 5,238 | 7.5% |
| 2012 | 4,531 | -13.5% |
| 2013 | 5,404 | 19.3% |
| 2014 | 6,543 | 21.1% |
| 2015 | 7,317 | 11.8% |
| 2016 | 6,969 | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 5,317 | -23.7% |
| 2018 | 5,058 | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 5,367 | 6.1% |
| 2020 | 2,430 | -54.7% |
| 2021 | 3,785 | 55.8% |
| 2022 | 6,588 | 74.1% |
| 2023 | 6,542 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 3,783 | -42.2% |
| 2025 | 1,347 | -64.4% |
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
Religion
| % Christian | 49.1% |
|---|---|
| % Non-Christian | 3% |
| % No religion | 41.2% |
| % Religion not stated | 6.7% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Country of Birth
88.9% Born in UK
86% Born in England
1.2% Born in Wales
1.3% Born in Scotland
0.3% Born in Northern Ireland
11.1% Born outside of UK
0.4% Born in Ireland
2.1% Born in EU (Member Countries in March 2001)
2.8% Born in EU (Accession Countries April 2001 - March 2021)
5.8% Born elsewhere
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Health
81.1% of residents reported having very good or good health.
| % Very Good Health | 46.2% |
|---|---|
| % Good Health | 34.9% |
| % Fair Health | 13.8% |
| % Bad Health | 4% |
| % Very Bad Health | 1.1% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Unpaid care
9.2% of residents aged 5 and over provide unpaid care.
6.5%
Residents aged 5 and over providing up to 50 hours of unpaid care per week
2.7%
Residents aged 5 and over providing more than 50 hours of unpaid care per week
Communal establishments
2.4% of residents live in communal establishments.
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
MOSAIC
MOSAIC data is only available at Sub Unitary Geography, Town, Ward and Parish level
Source: Mosaic 2021, EXPERIAN
Living Arrangements
| All Households | 343,103 |
|---|---|
| % of households with one person 66+ or couple/family all aged 66+ | 29.6% |
| % of households married or same sex civil partnership with/without dependents* | 29.3% |
| % of households cohabiting with/without dependents* | 10.5% |
| % of households lone parents* | 8.8% |
| % all others** | 21.8% |
* may include members aged 66+, but not all
** may include households all aged 66+ but not a family
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Tenure
| % Owner Occupied | 67.4% |
|---|---|
| % Public Rented | 11.6% |
| % Private Rented | 20.9% |
| % Other | 0.1% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Dwelling type
| Detached | 38.1% |
|---|---|
| Semi-Detached | 20.3% |
| Terraced | 14.5% |
| Flats/Maisonettes | 26.3% |
| Mobile Homes/Caravans | 0.8% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
| % no cars or vans in household | 16.6% |
|---|---|
| % 2 or more cars or vans in a household | 41.3% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Local business units
| Total | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Total businesses | 38,835 | - |
| Wholesale, retail and repair | 6,235 | 16.06% |
| Construction | 5,785 | 14.90% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 4,720 | 12.15% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,960 | 7.62% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 2,865 | 7.38% |
| Human heath and social work activites | 2,180 | 5.61% |
| Manufacturing | 2,170 | 5.59% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2,110 | 5.43% |
| Information and communications | 2,085 | 5.37% |
| Real estate activities | 1,780 | 4.58% |
| Transportation and storage | 1,185 | 3.05% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,105 | 2.85% |
| Education | 870 | 2.24% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 795 | 2.05% |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 305 | 0.79% |
| Water, sewerage and waste management | 170 | 0.44% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air | 45 | 0.12% |
| Mining and quarrying | 25 | 0.06% |
Source: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location (2025), ONS
Business size bands
| Total businesses | 38,835 | - |
|---|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9 employees) | 32,895 | 84.70% |
| Small (10 to 49 employees) | 4,910 | 12.64% |
| Medium (50 to 249 employees) | 920 | 2.37% |
| Large (250+ employees) | 105 | 0.27% |
Source: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location (2025), ONS
Employment of workers by sector in area
| Total | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| All industries | 337,000 | - |
| Human heath and social work activites | 55,000 | 16.32% |
| Wholesale, retail and repair | 47,000 | 13.95% |
| Accommodation and food services | 38,000 | 11.28% |
| Manufacturing | 29,000 | 8.61% |
| Education | 29,000 | 8.61% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 26,000 | 7.72% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 19,000 | 5.64% |
| Construction | 18,000 | 5.34% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 15,000 | 4.45% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 15,000 | 4.45% |
| Information and communications | 13,000 | 3.86% |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 13,000 | 3.86% |
| Transportation and storage | 9,000 | 2.67% |
| Real estate activities | 6,000 | 1.78% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2,500 | 0.74% |
| Water, sewerage and waste management | 2,250 | 0.67% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air | 600 | 0.18% |
| Mining and quarrying | 250 | 0.07% |
Source: BRES (2024), ONS
Claimant unemployment
These figures refer to the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit who are out of work.
| Date Range | Avg. Number of Claimants | Avg. Rate of Claimants |
|---|---|---|
| October 2024 to December 2024 | 13,875 | 3% |
| January 2025 to March 2025 | 14,280 | 3.1% |
| April 2025 to June 2025 | 13,900 | 3% |
| July 2025 to September 2025 | 13,130 | 2.9% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Skills
353,807
All usual residents aged 16 and over in Employment (includes students in employment)
45%
High skill occupation
39.7%
Intermediate skill occupation
15.3%
Low skill occupation
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Gross weekly full time earnings
£732.57
Residence Earnings
(Gross weekly full time earnings for people who live in the area)
£719.02
Workplace earnings
(Gross weekly full time earnings for people who work in the area)
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2025), ONS
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