The Office for National Statistics has released an update on how life has changed in Oldham since the 2011 census.

The data reveals an increase to Oldham’s population, with more adults working shorter hours.

Additionally, Oldham had the second largest proportional fall in the North West of couples without children.

However, some data may be affected as the census took place in March 2021 – when people’s circumstances may have been more affected by the pandemic.

Population

Oldham’s population passed 240,000, increasing from 224,900 in 2011 to around 242,100 in 2021 – a 7.6 per cent increase.

This means Oldham’s population increased at a higher rate than the North West, at 5.2 per cent, and England – up 6.6 per cent since the 2011 census.

In 2021, Oldham was home to around 12.1 people per football pitch-sized piece of land, compared with 11.3 in 2011.

Oldham is among the top 35 per cent most densely populated English local authority areas at the last census.

Median age

The median age in Oldham – the age of the person in the middle of the population – remained 37 years old.

This means half of Oldhamers are younger than 37, and half are older.

Oldham has a lower median age than the North West and England, both of which are 40 years.

The number of people aged 50 to 64 years rose by more than 4,500 (an increase of 11.5 per cent), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by just under 500 (1.1 per cent decrease).

People looking after their family or home

Oldham saw England's joint third-largest percentage-point rise (alongside Luton and Pendle) in the share of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home (from 5.2 per cent in 2011 to 7.4 per cent in 2021).

England's largest increases in the percentage of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home occurred in Birmingham (from 5.9 per cent to 8.2 per cent) and Sandwell (from 5.3 per cent to 7.6 per cent).

During this period, Oldham went from being among the highest 10 per cent of English local authority areas based on its share of people who were economically inactive because they were looking after their family or home to being among the highest 4 per cent.

Adults working shorter hours

In 2021, 9.3 per cent of Oldham residents aged 16 years and over and in employment said they worked 15 hours or less per week. This figure increased from 7.9 per cent in 2011.

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 was greater in Oldham (1.4 percentage points) than across the North West (0.5 percentage points).

Across the region, the percentage increased from 9.1 per cent in 2011 to 9.6 per cent in 2021, while across England, the percentage increased from 9.7 per cent to 10.3 per cent.

Country of birth

In the latest census, around 198,900 Oldham residents said they were born in England.

ALSO READ: Census 2021: data shows changes in Oldham's ethnic makeup.

This represented 82.2 per cent of the local population. The figure has risen from around 195,100 in 2011, which at the time represented 86.8 per cent of Oldham's population.

Pakistan was the next most represented, with just under 12,800 Oldham residents reporting this country of birth (5.3 per cent). This figure was up from around 9,400 in 2011, which at the time represented 4.2 per cent of the population of Oldham.

 

The number of Oldham residents born in Bangladesh rose from just under 6,900 in 2011 (3.1 per cent of the local population) to more than 8,000 in 2021 (3.3 per cent).

Fewer couples without children

Oldham saw the North West's second-largest percentage-point fall in the share of households including a couple but no children (from 15.4 per cent in 2011 to 13.5 per cent in 2021).

Across the region, only Chorley saw a greater fall in the percentage of households including a couple but no children (from 20.6 per cent to 18.4 per cent).