2021 Census data
This is the sex recorded by the person completing the census. The options were “Female” and “Male”. There is a separate briefing on gender identity.
In 2021, 51% (141,540 people) of the population of the city were female and 49% (135,563 people) were male.
The number of females and males is similar to England and the South East (both 51% and 49%, respectively).
The number of females in Brighton & Hove has increased since 2011 (3% increase, 4,279 more people) and the number of males has decreased (0.4% decrease, 545 fewer people).
Information from Census 2021, including different geographical levels, maps and 2011 census data is available at:
The number of females in Brighton & Hove has increased since 2011 (3% increase, 4,279 more people) and the number of males has decreased (0.4% decrease, 545 fewer people). This is different to England which saw an increase in females (7%) and males (6%) and the South East, which saw similar increases (8% in females and 7% in males).
Brighton & Hove has proportionally the 137th most females (out of 309 local authorities in England
| 2021 Census, Brighton & Hove (n) | 2021 Census, Brighton & Hove: Percentage of total population | 2021 Census, South East: Percentage of total population | 2021 Census, England: Percentage of total population | 2011 Census, Brighton & Hove (n) | 2011 Census, Brighton & Hove (%) | Change Brighton & Hove (n) | Change Brighton & Hove (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 141,540 | 51% | 51% | 51% | 137,261 | 50% | 4,279 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Male | 135,563 | 49% | 49% | 49% | 136,108 | 50% | -545 | -0.4% | -0.4% |
| Total | 277,103 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 273,369 | 100% | 3,734 | 1.4% |
The age distribution of males and females in the city is similar (Figure 1), although there are more females in the oldest age group (85 years or older, 3%) than males (1%).
There was little difference between genders regarding gender identity, with 1% of both females and male saying that their gender identity is different from the sex registered at birth.
A similar percentage of females and males in the city reported that their sexual orientation was straight or heterosexual (80% and 81%, respectively). More males (8%) reported the gay or lesbian category than females (4%) and more females reported that they are bisexual (6%) than males (2%).
There was little difference by ethnic group between males and females, although males (75%) were more likely to be White British than females (73%) and females (12%) were more likely to be of non-British White ethnicity than males (10%).
There was also little difference in religious affiliation between males and females, apart from females (33)%) were more likely to report they are affiliated with Christianity than males (28%) and males (58%) were more likely to report they have no religious affiliation than females (53%).
Females in the city were more likely to report they are disabled under the equalities act definition (20%) than males (17%), with more females (8%) saying their day-to-day activities were limited a lot than males (7%)
Female residents (9%) are more likely to provide some level of unpaid care than males (7%). Among those providing unpaid care, females are more likely to provide 50 or more hours of care (27% of those who provide care) than males (25%).
Male residents (4%) were more likely to have previously served in the UK armed forces (regular or reserve) than female (1%).
People who were born outside the UK were more likely to be female (55%) than those who were born in the UK (50%)
The percentage of the population who are female ranges from 48% (Queen's Park and Regency) to 53% (Hanover and Elm Grove, North Portslade and Westbourne).
Explore key information about physical disabilities and impairment in Brighton & Hove.