Sheffield's 2026 population is now estimated at 588,768. In 2005, the population of Sheffield was 525,721. Sheffield has grown by 3,146 in the last year, which represents a 0.54% annual change. These population values and projections come from UK local authority population estimates (Nomis NM_31_1 official) and World Population Review Internal Projections .
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England, with a name that comes from the River Sheaf running through the city. Sheffield is one of the 8 largest regional English cities comprising the Core Cities Group, and the 3rd largest English district with an estimated 2014 population of 555,000.
Sheffield is part of the larger Sheffield urban area, with a population estimated at 645,000. The city of Sheffield has an area of just over 142 square miles (367 square kilometers) with a population density of 4,000 people per square mile (1,500 per square kilometer). The urban area has a much higher population density of 10,228 people per square mile, or 3,949 per square kilometer.
Sheffield has over 250 gardens, parks and woodland areas with about 2 million trees. This gives Sheffield the highest ratio of trees to people of any European city.
The 2011 census found the racial and ethnic composition of Sheffield to be:
53% of the population of Sheffield are Christian, followed by Muslim (6%), Hindu (0.6%), Buddhist (0.4%), Sikh (0.2%) and Jewish (0.1%). More than 31% have no religion while 7% declined to state a religion.
Sheffield has a high percentage of well educated citizens, with the percentage of the population qualified to degree level increasing from 25% in 2005 to more than 33% in 2011.
Sheffield experienced its greatest growth during the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution, when its population increased tenfold. For the past several decades, the city has been growing faster than the national average and it is projected to hit 600,000 by 2020.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| London | 9,188,200 | 0.54% |
| Birmingham | 1,199,447 | 0.67% |
| Leeds | 860,894 | 0.92% |
| Glasgow | 663,221 | 0.99% |
| Manchester | 605,521 | 1.34% |
| Cornwall | 591,594 | 0.71% |
| Sheffield | 588,768 | 0.54% |
| Bradford | 570,186 | 0.58% |
| County Durham | 543,515 | 0.51% |
| Edinburgh | 540,101 | 0.88% |
| Wiltshire | 531,890 | 0.78% |
| Liverpool | 518,060 | 0.89% |
| Bristol | 504,401 | 1.01% |
| Kirklees | 451,654 | 0.42% |
| Cheshire East | 431,445 | 1.2% |
| Croydon | 415,854 | 0.79% |
| Barnet | 411,361 | 0.78% |
| Leicester | 397,462 | 1.17% |
| Ealing | 392,217 | 0.8% |
| Cardiff | 391,495 | 0.98% |