Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Executive Summary August 2026
This healthy city population summary covers:
This summary uses Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates. In July 2026, the ONS released 2025 population estimates, and in June 2025 the ONS released updated population projections up to 2047.
This report has been updated to include these estimates; data is available on the ONS website.
Population size, structure and composition are crucial elements in identifying, measuring and understanding health and wellbeing.
Data on the population of Brighton & Hove is useful for calculating rates and averages to describe a local area in terms of its demographic and health characteristics and compare these with other areas such as the South East and England.
Furthermore, it's useful for predicting the number of health conditions in a given area using known rates from other geographies.
We estimate there are 284,200 residents in Brighton & Hove according to the most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates.
In Brighton & Hove, in 2025, it's estimated that:
Brighton & Hove has an unusual population profile compared to the South East and England.
Brighton & Hove has a much higher proportion of people aged 19 to 33 years (27%, 75,862 people) compared to only 17% in the South East and 19% in England.
The difference is most pronounced between the ages of 19 and 22. One in 10 of Brighton & Hove's total population (10%, 27,2926 people) are aged 19 to 22 years compared to only 4% in the South East and 5% in England.
Brighton & Hove has a lower proportion of children aged 0 to 17 years (16%, 44,972 people) compared to 21% in the South East and 20% in England.
There are also fewer people across all age groups aged 60 years and above. In Brighton & Hove, a fifth of the total population (21%, 58,296 people) is aged 60 years or older compared to 26% in the South East and 25% in England.
Brighton & Hove's resident population changed at varying rates between 2012 and 2025.
In 2025, the city's estimated population of 284,200 was 10,149 (3.7%) higher than it was in 2012. Compared to 2024, however, this is a decrease of 893 people (0.3% decrease).
Brighton & Hove residents aged 20 to 29 make up a significant number of residents (52,995 people, 19%). This is an increase of 2% (1095 people) from 2024. Beyond the age of 29, the working-age population has remained level since 2020.
Children aged 0 to 9 years have seen the largest fall in population. In 2018, there were an estimated 27,250 children aged 0 to 9 years; by 2025, their numbers have fallen to 22,610, a decrease of 4640 (17%). Compared to 2024, the numbers have fallen by 1020 children.
The number of older residents has risen slightly. In 2024, there were an estimated 10,890 residents aged 80 or older; by 2025, their numbers have risen to 11,203, an increase of 313 people (3.9%).
The population decrease in Brighton and Hove between 2024 and 2025 is estimated to result from outward net internal migration. Net internal migration over this period resulted in 816 fewer people. Net international migration between 2024 and 2025 also resulted in a decrease of 159 people. Compared to 2023 and 2024, which saw a net increase in Brighton and Hove's population of 3,568 people.
Between 2024 and 2025, there were 82 more births than deaths.
Brighton & Hove has a relatively even sex distribution until the age of 75.
In 2025, there are estimated to be 145,673 female (51%) and 138,497 male (49%) residents. Apart from the age range 19 to 21 (see section on students below), there is a relatively even distribution of males and females across all ages up until the age of 75. Similar to the picture in England, beyond 75, the proportion of female residents increases.
There are an estimated 20,004 residents aged 75 or older, of which 57% (11,444 people) are female, and 43% (8,560 people) are male. By 90 or older, the difference is nearly two to one, with 1,411 female (65%) to 760 male (35%) residents.
For the academic year 2024 to 2025, there were 34,695 students at the University of Sussex (17,290) and the University of Brighton (17,405).
This was a decrease of 3.3% (1190 students) compared to 2023/24. In England, there has been a 1.3% decrease in the number of HE students over the same period.
At the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton in 2024 to 2025, 59% of students were female (20,225 people) compared to 41% male (13,950 people).
It should be noted that not all students at the two universities live in Brighton & Hove.
In 2032, the projected population is 292,790. This is up from 278,370 people in 2022 (a 5.2% increase), compared to a 6.4% increase in England.
Net international migration is projected to be the largest factor in the population increase (+30,483).
The projected median age is 38. This is the same as in 2022.
In 2032, 15% of people are projected to be aged 18 years and under, down from 18% in 2022. This is below the average for England in 2032 (20%).
Looking at the youngest age groups in Brighton and Hove between 2022 and 2032, we can see the share of:
The largest increase in population is projected to occur in those aged 80 and above (31% increase, 2,835 more people) and those aged 60 to 69 (29% increase, 7,270 more people).
The largest decrease is projected to occur in those aged 50 to 59 (12% decrease, 4,726 fewer people) and those aged 0 to 9 (9% decrease, 2,134 fewer people).
The largest increase in population is projected to occur in those aged 80 and above (79% increase, 7,188 more people) and those aged 70 to 79 (35% increase, 6,209 more people).
The largest decrease is projected to occur in those aged 10 to 19 (15% decrease, 5,080 fewer people) and those aged 50 to 59 (5% decrease, 2,010 fewer people).
The female population is projected to increase by 5% (6,603 more people), and the male population is projected to increase by 6% (7,817 more people).
The female population is estimated to increase by 7% (9,992 more people) and the male population by 10% (13,258 more people).
Population change is projected by looking at births and deaths (natural change) and people moving in and out of areas.
The number of births in Brighton & Hove has fallen by 29% since 2013, from 2,967 in 2013 to 2,100 in 2022. This is lower than England (52 per 1,000) and the South East (52 per 1,000), and is the lowest of all upper-tier local authorities in England.
More births than deaths mean that the population is projected to increase by 1,334, with 23,320 births and 21,986 deaths between 2022 and 2032. This means natural change would increase the population in Brighton and Hove by 0.5%, compared with an increase of 0.2% in England.
Between 2022 and 2047, births per year are projected to increase slightly, from 2,266 in 2023 to 2,573 in 2047.
The number of deaths is also projected to increase, from 2,268 in 2023 to 2,559 in 2047.
Of the different population projections that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish, it's recommended to use a migration version which aligns with recent international estimates.
The migration component of the projection consists of:
Net internal migration (people moving to and from other local authorities in England) is projected to reduce the population by 15,216, with 262,112 people moving to the area and 277,328 people moving from the area between 2022 and 2032. This would decrease the population in Brighton and Hove by 5.5%.
Net cross-border migration (between UK nations) is projected to reduce the population by 2,050, with 6,627 people moving to the area and 8,677 people moving from the area between 2022 and 2032. This would decrease the population in Brighton & Hove by 0.7%.
Net international migration is projected to increase the population by 30,483, with 63,940 people moving to the area and 33,458 people moving from the area between 2022 and 2032. This would increase the population in Brighton and Hove by 11.0%, compared with an increase of 6.5% in England.
The ONS publishes a range of projections under different migration scenarios, showing the large contribution migration can have on the local population size and structure.
Whilst many people aged 66 or over will not be dependent, the old-age dependency ratio is a measure which shows the proportion of older people (from the state pension age of 66 years) relative to the working-age population (those aged 16 to 65 years).
In 2022, the dependency ratio was 186 per 1,000 people of working age. This is projected to increase to 224 per 1,000 people of working age in 2047.
The population referred to in this paper is the ‘resident’ population. A resident is someone who has lived in an area, or intends to live in an area, for more than 12 months.
Population projections are based upon assumptions of how the population will change. There could well be factors which mean that these patterns change in unforeseen ways, and so projections will always have a degree of uncertainty around them.
All data used in this report were accessed from the ONS population estimates and projection figures. These can be found on the Population and Migration pages of the ONS website. ONS population estimates are updated annually in June/July for the previous year. ONS population projections are updated every 2 years.
Data on the number of students can be found on the Higher Education Statistic agency website. Data is updated annually..
Some figures have been rounded for ease.
To find the latest published and upcoming releases on the changing demographics of the UK, go to the release calendar pages of the ONS website.
The Healthy City Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a resource that allows you to find, explore and use a wide range of facts and figures at different geographical levels for Brighton & Hove.
Resources include