NEW Census data has revealed Slough is the third most densely populated town in the South East as its population grew above the national average.

The town’s population has since increased by 13 per cent, from around 140,200 in 2011 to 158,500 in 2021.

The English population grew by nearly 3.5 million to 56,489,800 with an increase of 6.6 per cent. The South East’s population grew by 7.5 per cent.

This places Slough 127th for total population out of 309 local authorities in England, moving up 13 places in a decade. Neighbouring Buckinghamshire was ranked fifth and Windsor and Maidenhead remained at 136.

Slough is also the third most densely populated of the South East’s 64 local authorities. To put it in perspective, that’s 35 people living on each football pitch-sized area of land.

There has been an increase of 19.3 per cent in people aged 65 and over in the borough, a 10.7 per cent rise in people aged 15 to 64 years, and an increase of 17.3 per cent in children under 15 years.

Twenty-five to twenty-nine-year-olds has declined by 20 per cent in Slough. Out of its 158,500 population, 80,000 are males and the remaining 78,500 are women.

The census takes place across the UK every 10 years and provides the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in the country.

READ MORE: Maidenhead company ‘named and shamed’ by HMRC for millions of pounds in unpaid tax

The Office for National Statistics today published its first round of data relating to repopulation and household estimates providing information on population size and change, the age and sex of the population, how densely areas were populated and how many households there were in 2021.

Its results are used by a range of organisations including governments, councils and businesses, and underpins everything from the calculation of economic growth and unemployment to helping plan schools, health services and transport links.

READ MORE: Aldi looks for location for new Slough store

Jen Woolford, director of health, population and methods transformation at the ONS, said: “The first census estimates are hugely important as they underpin everything from the calculation of GDP, employment, wellbeing and, (now), COVID rates.

“They will be essential to our long-term understanding of the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic.

“But they are, in fact, just the start of a programme which will continue from the autumn for the next two years. These will include data on ethnicity, religion, the labour market, education and housing.

“For the first time, they will also include information on UK armed forces veterans, sexual orientation and gender identity.”