Area profile for Dorset Council
| Comparators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Percentage | England and Wales | |
| All Persons | 389,947 | - | 61,806,682 |
| All Males | 188,944 | 48.5% | 49.0% |
| All Females | 201,003 | 51.5% | 51.0% |
| 0-15 yrs | 58,061 | 14.9% | 18.3% |
| 16-64 yrs | 212,840 | 54.6% | 62.8% |
| 65+ yrs | 119,046 | 30.5% | 18.9% |
| Male 0-15 yrs | 29,459 | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| Male 16-64 yrs | 104,521 | 26.8% | 31.0% |
| Male 65+ yrs | 54,964 | 14.1% | 8.7% |
| Female 0-15 yrs | 28,602 | 7.3% | 8.9% |
| Female 16-64 yrs | 108,319 | 27.8% | 31.9% |
| Female 65+ yrs | 64,082 | 16.4% | 10.2% |
Show Male/Female individual age breakdown
Source: Mid Year Estimates (2024), Office for National Statistics
| Change | Birth Rate per 1,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | - | 8.6 |
| 2006 | -1.2% | 8.5 |
| 2007 | 4.7% | 8.9 |
| 2008 | 2.2% | 9.1 |
| 2009 | 1.1% | 9.2 |
| 2010 | -2.2% | 9.0 |
| 2011 | -1.1% | 8.9 |
| 2012 | 1.1% | 9.0 |
| 2013 | -5.6% | 8.5 |
| 2014 | -1.2% | 8.4 |
| 2015 | -1.2% | 8.3 |
| 2016 | -2.4% | 8.1 |
| 2017 | 1.2% | 8.2 |
| 2018 | -7.3% | 7.6 |
| 2019 | -3.9% | 7.3 |
| 2020 | -4.1% | 7.0 |
| 2021 | 2.9% | 7.2 |
| 2022 | -5.6% | 6.8 |
| 2023 | -8.8% | 6.2 |
| 2024 | 4.8% | 6.5 |
| Change | Death Rate per 1,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | - | 11.5 |
| 2006 | 0% | 11.5 |
| 2007 | -3.5% | 11.1 |
| 2008 | -1.8% | 10.9 |
| 2009 | 7.3% | 11.7 |
| 2010 | -6.0% | 11.0 |
| 2011 | -0.9% | 10.9 |
| 2012 | 2.8% | 11.2 |
| 2013 | 4.5% | 11.7 |
| 2014 | -4.3% | 11.2 |
| 2015 | 8.9% | 12.2 |
| 2016 | 1.6% | 12.4 |
| 2017 | -2.4% | 12.1 |
| 2018 | 3.3% | 12.5 |
| 2019 | -4.0% | 12.0 |
| 2020 | 9.2% | 13.1 |
| 2021 | 0.8% | 13.2 |
| 2022 | -2.3% | 12.9 |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 13.4 |
| 2024 | -1.5% | 13.2 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
93.9%
White British
6.1%
BME (black and minority ethnic population)
1.8%
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 | 661 | - |
| 2005 | 1,036 | 56.7% |
| 2006 | 1,078 | 4.1% |
| 2007 | 1,651 | 53.2% |
| 2008 | 984 | -40.4% |
| 2009 | 717 | -27.1% |
| 2010 | 737 | 2.8% |
| 2011 | 739 | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 639 | -13.5% |
| 2013 | 740 | 15.8% |
| 2014 | 1,018 | 37.6% |
| 2015 | 1,205 | 18.4% |
| 2016 | 1,117 | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 995 | -10.9% |
| 2018 | 878 | -11.8% |
| 2019 | 895 | 1.9% |
| 2020 | 386 | -56.9% |
| 2021 | 682 | 76.7% |
| 2022 | 1,344 | 97.1% |
| 2023 | 1,283 | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 1,013 | -21.0% |
| 2025 | 267 | -73.6% |
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
Religion
| % Christian | 59% |
|---|---|
| % Non-Christian | 1.8% |
| % No religion | 40.1% |
| % Religion not stated | 6.5% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Country of Birth
93.5% Born in UK
90.4% Born in England
1.3% Born in Wales
1.4% Born in Scotland
0.4% Born in Northern Ireland
6.5% Born outside of UK
0.4% Born in Ireland
1.4% Born in EU (Member Countries in March 2001)
1.2% Born in EU (Accession Countries April 2001 - March 2021)
3.6% Born elsewhere
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Health
80.7% of residents reported having very good or good health.
| % Very Good Health | 44.9% |
|---|---|
| % Good Health | 35.8% |
| % Fair Health | 14.2% |
| % Bad Health | 4% |
| % Very Bad Health | 1.1% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Unpaid care
9.7% of residents aged 5 and over provide unpaid care.
6.8%
Residents aged 5 and over providing up to 50 hours of unpaid care per week
2.9%
Residents aged 5 and over providing more than 50 hours of unpaid care per week
Communal establishments
2.1% 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 | 169,261 |
|---|---|
| % of households with one person 66+ or couple/family all aged 66+ | 33.6% |
| % of households married or same sex civil partnership with/without dependents* | 30.6% |
| % of households cohabiting with/without dependents* | 9.8% |
| % of households lone parents* | 8.1% |
| % all others** | 17.9% |
* 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 | 71.4% |
|---|---|
| % Public Rented | 12.3% |
| % Private Rented | 16.3% |
| % Other | 0% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Dwelling type
| Detached | 40.6% |
|---|---|
| Semi-Detached | 23.4% |
| Terraced | 19.3% |
| Flats/Maisonettes | 15.4% |
| Mobile Homes/Caravans | 1.2% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
| % no cars or vans in household | 13.7% |
|---|---|
| % 2 or more cars or vans in a household | 45.5% |
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Local business units
| Total | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Total businesses | 20,515 | - |
| Wholesale, retail and repair | 3,200 | 15.60% |
| Construction | 2,900 | 14.14% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 2,390 | 11.65% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2,030 | 9.90% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,615 | 7.87% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 1,430 | 6.97% |
| Manufacturing | 1,260 | 6.14% |
| Information and communications | 985 | 4.80% |
| Human heath and social work activites | 945 | 4.61% |
| Real estate activities | 805 | 3.92% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 635 | 3.10% |
| Transportation and storage | 490 | 2.39% |
| Education | 430 | 2.10% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 330 | 1.61% |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 230 | 1.12% |
| Water, sewerage and waste management | 95 | 0.46% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air | 30 | 0.15% |
| Mining and quarrying | 20 | 0.10% |
Source: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location (2025), ONS
Business size bands
| Total businesses | 20,515 | - |
|---|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9 employees) | 17,560 | 85.60% |
| Small (10 to 49 employees) | 2,535 | 12.36% |
| Medium (50 to 249 employees) | 380 | 1.85% |
| Large (250+ employees) | 40 | 0.19% |
Source: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location (2025), ONS
Employment of workers by sector in area
| Total | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| All industries | 151,000 | - |
| Wholesale, retail and repair | 22,000 | 14.57% |
| Human heath and social work activites | 20,000 | 13.25% |
| Accommodation and food services | 19,000 | 12.58% |
| Manufacturing | 16,000 | 10.60% |
| Education | 14,000 | 9.27% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 13,000 | 8.61% |
| Construction | 9,000 | 5.96% |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 8,000 | 5.30% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 7,500 | 4.97% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 6,000 | 3.97% |
| Information and communications | 4,500 | 2.98% |
| Transportation and storage | 3,500 | 2.32% |
| Real estate activities | 3,000 | 1.99% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2,500 | 1.66% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 1,500 | 0.99% |
| Water, sewerage and waste management | 1,250 | 0.83% |
| Mining and quarrying | 225 | 0.15% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air | 35 | 0.02% |
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 | 5,235 | 2.5% |
| January 2025 to March 2025 | 5,430 | 2.6% |
| April 2025 to June 2025 | 5,100 | 2.4% |
| July 2025 to September 2025 | 4,770 | 2.3% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Skills
167,777
All usual residents aged 16 and over in Employment (includes students in employment)
44.3%
High skill occupation
40.5%
Intermediate skill occupation
15.1%
Low skill occupation
Source: 2021 Census, Office for National Statistics.
Gross weekly full time earnings
£737.10
Residence Earnings
(Gross weekly full time earnings for people who live in the area)
£708.70
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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