Key Statistics for Colchester

The borough of Colchester is situated in the north east of Essex, is approximately 60 miles from London and covers an area of approximately 125 square miles. The main town is Colchester but there are many surrounding small towns and villages of which the largest are Stanway, Tiptree, West Mersea and Wivenhoe. The countryside areas of the borough are mainly used for agriculture.

Colchester has a rich and vast heritage - as Camulodonum, it was the first capital of England and it is also Britain's oldest recorded town. The borough houses a large university of approximately 8,000 students and is also home to a garrison with capacity for approximately 4,000 military personnel.

Population mid-year 2020

• In mid-2020, Colchester’s population was estimated to stand at 197,200.
• This is an increase of 1.2% (2,494 people) from the figure recorded in mid-2019.
• In mid-2020, approximately 126,176 individuals were aged 16-64, equating to 64% of the total population.
• An estimated 34,056 people in Colchester were 65+ in mid-2020 accounting for an estimated 17.3% of the population.

Census 2021

The first release of Census data is expected in March 2022. A summary of the results will be published on this page.  

The previous Census took place in March 2011.

• On Census day 2011, the population of Colchester was estimated at  173,100.
• The estimated number of households across the borough was 71,600. 
• 16.7% of respondents in Colchester filled in their Census returns online.
• The overall response rate in Colchester was 94.2%.

We provide more information about Census data on our dedicated Census page.

Colchester District Profile

You can find a profile of Colchester. It paints a broad picture including data on population trends, lifestyles, health and much more.

This portrait of the local authority area is one of a series of profiles for each of the districts and boroughs in Essex and is part of a suite of documents for the Essex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2019 on the Essex Open Data platform.

The Essex JSNA & District Profile Reports 2019 form part of the Essex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment which is intended to provide the evidence base for all commissioning across the county.

Deprivation - The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019

• Deprivation is measured using the IMD 2019.
• The higher the IMD 2019 score or rank is the more deprived an area is.
• Colchester is ranked 5th in Essex on average score for IMD.
• Colchester has one LSOA in the top 10% of most deprived in the country found in the ward of Greenstead.
• The least levels of deprivation are in Bergholt in Lexden and Braiswick, Drury in New Town and Christ Church, and Layer in Marks Tey and Layer.

Full Colchester Report

Health

Key areas of concern are:

• Smoking during pregnancy
• Rate of killed and seriously injured on roads

Please follow this link to access the 2019 Health Profile for Colchester.

Crime

• Between April 2020 and March 2021, 22,558 crimes were recorded in the Colchester borough.
• Violent crime, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson, public order, shoplifting, and other theft made up the highest proportion of recorded offences.

Have a look at the Police UK Crime Map for more detail.

Housing

• 1,124 homes were built between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.
• 202 units of affordable housing were completed between April 2019 and March 2020.

Have a look at the Authority Monitoring Reports for more detail.

Economy

• Between January 2020 and December 2020, approximately 71.3% of the working age population were in employment.
• During the same period, approximately 4.6% of working age Colchester residents had no qualifications.
• In May 2021, 4.6% of individuals aged 16-64 were claiming Universal Credit.