The Braintree district has seen its population swell over the last decade, latest census figures show.

The census takes place every 10 years, with every household in the UK required to take part.

The latest snapshot of England and Wales was captured on March 21 2021.

Now the first results have been released – and there has been a rise in the number of people living in Braintree.

On census day, 155,200 people were living in the area – up six per cent from 147,084 in 2011, when the last census was carried out.

This means the population density has grown to 254 residents per square kilometre, up from 240 in 2011.

The census is crucial for the UK’s statisticians to understand how our population is changing, and plays a vital role in how our public services and government operate.

It shows the balance of men and women in the area has stayed the same since 2011 – Braintree’s population is 49 per cent male and 51 per cent female, close to what it was 10 years ago.

It also shows the area is ageing – a decade ago the population was made up of 12.4 per cent under-10s and 16.6 per cent over-65s, but this had changed to 11.3 per cent and 20.4 per cent respectively by 2021.

Across England and Wales, the total population grew 6.3 per cent over the past decade, from 56,075,912 in 2011 to 59,597,300 last year.

This included an 8.3 per cent increase in the East of England, where the population rose to 6,334,500 from 5,846,965 in 2011.

There were 24.8 million households in England and Wales on census day 2021, up from 23.4 million in 2011, with an average of 2.4 people in each household – the same as in 2011.

Historic populations of Braintree

1981: 111,395

1991: 118,883

2001: 132,175

2011: 147,084

2021: 155,200