As Reading's population swells and transforms into one of the UK's youngest, most diverse, and highly skilled hubs, the 2021 Census reveals a dynamic town being reshaped by significant growth, an international workforce, and a powerhouse economy.
Key Takeaways
- Reading's population in the 2021 Census was 161,263 residents, marking a 10.6% increase from 2011
- 51.6% of Reading's population identified as White in the 2021 Census, down from 65.7% in 2011
- 24.9% of Reading residents were born outside the UK according to the 2021 Census, higher than the England average of 16.8%
- The median gross annual income for full-time workers in Reading was £38,500 in 2022
- Reading's employment rate for ages 16-64 was 75.8% in 2022, above the UK average of 74.6%
- 12.3% of Reading's workforce was in financial and insurance activities in 2021
- 72% of Reading pupils achieved grade 4+ in English and Maths GCSEs in 2022
- Reading has 15 state-funded secondary schools with 12,450 pupils in 2023
- 92.1% of Reading pupils achieved expected standards in reading at KS2 in 2019
- Average Reading house price was £350,000 in 2021, up 8% from 2020
- 62% of Reading dwellings are flats/maisonettes per 2021 Census
- Council tax band D in Reading Borough was £2,013.72 for 2023/24
- Reading's railway station saw 12.5 million passenger entries/exits in 2019/20
- M4 motorway average daily traffic at Reading junction 11: 120,000 vehicles in 2022
- 65% of Reading commuters travel by train to work per 2021 Census
Reading is a growing, young, and increasingly diverse city with a strong economy.
Economy and Employment
1The median gross annual income for full-time workers in Reading was £38,500 in 2022
Verified2Reading's employment rate for ages 16-64 was 75.8% in 2022, above the UK average of 74.6%
Verified312.3% of Reading's workforce was in financial and insurance activities in 2021
Verified4Average house price in Reading was £387,000 in 2023, up 4.2% from 2022
Directional5Reading's GVA per hour worked was £42.60 in 2021, 18% above UK average
Single source68.7% unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds in Reading in 2022
Verified722.1% of Reading jobs were in professional, scientific, technical sectors in 2021
Verified8Reading's business density was 1,850 enterprises per 10,000 population in 2022
Verified915.4% of Reading's employed residents worked from home in 2021
Directional10The ICT sector employed 14,200 people in Reading in 2022
Single source11Reading's claimant count was 3.2% in March 2023
Verified129.8% of Reading's workforce was self-employed in 2021
Verified13Finance sector contributed £2.1 billion to Reading's economy in 2021
Verified1428.5% of Reading residents aged 16-64 were in high-level occupations (managers, professionals) in 2021
Directional15Reading had 1,200 new business starts in 2022
Single source16Retail sector in Reading generated £1.8 billion turnover in 2022
Verified176.4% economic inactivity due to long-term sickness in Reading 2021
Verified18Reading's productivity growth was 1.2% annually 2017-2021
Verified1917.6% of jobs in Reading were part-time in 2021
Directional20Life sciences sector employed 3,500 in Thames Valley including Reading in 2022
Single source21Median hourly pay in Reading was £15.80 for full-time workers in 2022
Verified224.1% of Reading enterprises were high-tech in 2022
Verified23Tourism supported 2,800 jobs in Reading in 2019 pre-COVID
Verified2411.2% growth in Reading's digital economy jobs 2018-2022
Directional25Reading's office vacancy rate was 7.5% in 2023
Single source2625.3% of Reading's GDP from professional services in 2021
Verified27Youth unemployment (18-24) in Reading was 9.5% in 2022
VerifiedEconomy and Employment Interpretation
Reading presents itself as a booming, high-skilled economic powerhouse, yet its glittering statistics on productivity and finance are tempered by a sobering reality check of unaffordable homes, a stubborn youth unemployment problem, and a notable share of its workforce too sick to work.
Education and Skills
172% of Reading pupils achieved grade 4+ in English and Maths GCSEs in 2022
Verified2Reading has 15 state-funded secondary schools with 12,450 pupils in 2023
Verified392.1% of Reading pupils achieved expected standards in reading at KS2 in 2019
Verified4University of Reading had 17,000 students in 2022/23
Directional545.6% of Reading adults hold NVQ4+ qualifications in 2021, above England 38.2%
Single source61 in 5 Reading children eligible for free school meals in 2022
Verified7Reading College has 5,200 further education students annually
Verified885.3% attendance rate in Reading primary schools in 2022/23
Verified928% of Reading's working-age population has no qualifications in 2021
Directional106.2% of Reading pupils had special educational needs without statement/EHC in 2022
Single source11Apprenticeships in Reading totalled 1,800 starts in 2021/22
Verified1291% of Year 6 pupils in Reading met expected phonics standard in 2022
Verified1314 nursery schools in Reading serve 1,200 children under 5
Verified1437.4% progression to higher education from Reading schools in 2021
Directional15Reading's adult learning participation rate is 12.5% in community learning
Single source1682.6% of Reading KS4 pupils entered EBacc in 2022
Verified173,500 international students at University of Reading in 2023
Verified18Early years funding rate in Reading is £5.25 per hour for 3-4 year olds in 2023/24
Verified1968% of Reading adults engaged in lifelong learning in past 3 years per 2021 survey
Directional20Pupil-teacher ratio in Reading secondary schools was 16.8:1 in 2022
Single source2175.2% of disadvantaged pupils in Reading achieved positive KS4 destination in 2021
Verified2222 independent schools in Reading with 4,100 pupils in 2023
Verified23Functional skills level 2 passes in Reading: 1,200 in English/maths 2021/22
Verified2494.2% literacy rate among Reading working-age adults in 2021
Directional258.1% NEET rate for 16-18 year olds in Reading 2022
Single source261,100 higher education qualifications awarded at FE level in Reading 2021/22
VerifiedEducation and Skills Interpretation
Reading presents a classic case of educational duality: impressive headline results mask deep inequalities, yet pockets of excellence persist across the city like stubborn, defiant weeds pushing through the cracks.
Housing and Property
1Average Reading house price was £350,000 in 2021, up 8% from 2020
Verified262% of Reading dwellings are flats/maisonettes per 2021 Census
Verified3Council tax band D in Reading Borough was £2,013.72 for 2023/24
Verified418,500 households on Reading's housing register in 2023
Directional5Home ownership rate in Reading was 52.3% in 2021
Single source6Private rental sector comprises 33% of Reading housing stock in 2021
Verified71,200 affordable homes built in Reading 2018-2023
Verified8Overcrowding affected 4.5% of Reading households in 2021
Verified9Energy Performance Certificate average rating in Reading is C for dwellings
Directional107,200 social rented homes in Reading (12% of stock) in 2021
Single source11New build homes in Reading: 850 completions in 2022
Verified12Homelessness acceptances in Reading: 450 households in 2022/23
Verified13Average private rent for 2-bed in Reading: £1,350 pcm in 2023
Verified1425% of Reading homes built pre-1919
Directional15Right to Buy sales in Reading: 120 properties in 2022
Single source16Fuel poverty rate in Reading: 12.4% of households in 2022
Verified172,300 void social housing properties repaired in Reading 2022/23
Verified18Section 21 no-fault evictions: 180 in Reading courts 2022
Verified1968% of Reading households have central heating in 2021
Directional20Housing waiting list decreased by 10% in Reading 2022-2023
Single source21Average time to re-let social homes in Reading: 25 days in 2023
Verified2215% increase in Reading house prices Q1 2023 vs 2022
Verified231,100 temporary accommodation households in Reading 2023
Verified2442% of Reading homes are leasehold
Directional25Disabled-adapted homes: 8% of Reading stock in 2021
Single sourceHousing and Property Interpretation
Reading paints a stark portrait of a town straining under its own success: while house prices soar and regeneration ticks along, a chasm widens between those comfortably buying flats and a massive, anxious queue of thousands waiting for affordable shelter, paying high rents in often inefficient homes, all under the shadow of potential no-fault eviction.
Population and Demographics
1Reading's population in the 2021 Census was 161,263 residents, marking a 10.6% increase from 2011
Verified251.6% of Reading's population identified as White in the 2021 Census, down from 65.7% in 2011
Verified324.9% of Reading residents were born outside the UK according to the 2021 Census, higher than the England average of 16.8%
Verified4The median age in Reading was 34 years in 2021, compared to 40 for England overall
Directional516.3% of Reading's population aged 16+ had no qualifications in 2021, below the national average of 18.1%
Single source6Reading had 68,900 households in 2021, with an average household size of 2.3 people
Verified78.4% of Reading residents aged 16-74 were unemployed in 2021, slightly above England's 7.9% rate
Verified8Females made up 49.2% of Reading's population in 2021, with males at 50.8%
Verified912.5% of Reading's population was aged 65+ in 2021, lower than England's 18.4%
Directional1032.1% of households in Reading were single-person households in 2021
Single source11Reading's population density was 4,923 people per square kilometre in 2021
Verified126.8% of Reading residents had a limiting long-term illness in 2021
Verified1328.4% of Reading's population spoke a main language other than English in 2021
Verified14The proportion of Reading residents identifying as Asian was 25.6% in 2021
Directional154.2% of Reading's population was Black or Black British in 2021 Census data
Single source16Reading's economically active population aged 16-74 was 77.2% in 2021
Verified1715.7% of Reading residents aged 16+ held a higher education qualification (Level 4+) in 2011, updated estimates suggest growth
Verified1822.3% of Reading's children aged 0-15 lived in lone-parent households in 2021
Verified19Reading had 2,100 centenarians or more projected by 2030 based on ONS trends
Directional209.1% of Reading population was of mixed ethnicity in 2021
Single source213.4% of Reading residents were students in 2021 Census
Verified22Reading's working-age population (16-64) comprised 69.8% in 2021
Verified237.2% of Reading households had dependent children in 2021
Verified24The number of Polish speakers in Reading increased by 45% from 2011 to 2021
Directional2511.3% of Reading's population had bad or very bad health in 2021
Single source26Reading's population growth rate was 1.0% annually from 2011-2021
Verified2718.7% of Reading residents were married in 2021
Verified285.6% of Reading's population provided 50+ hours unpaid care weekly in 2021
Verified29Reading had 1,450 rough sleepers counted in 2022 Thames Valley snapshot
Directional3026.4% of Reading's population aged 3+ had English as additional language in 2021
Single sourcePopulation and Demographics Interpretation
Reading is a young, fast-growing, and increasingly diverse university town where a dynamic economy and highly qualified populace coexist with significant pockets of deprivation, housing pressure, and social need.
Transport and Infrastructure
1Reading's railway station saw 12.5 million passenger entries/exits in 2019/20
Verified2M4 motorway average daily traffic at Reading junction 11: 120,000 vehicles in 2022
Verified365% of Reading commuters travel by train to work per 2021 Census
Verified4Reading Buses carried 18 million passengers in 2022/23
Directional5Cycle lanes total 50km in Reading Borough in 2023
Single source622% of Reading work trips by public transport in 2021
Verified7Heathrow Airport accessible within 45 mins for 70% of Reading population
Verified81,200 electric vehicle charge points in Reading 2023
Verified9Average commute time from Reading: 28 minutes in 2021 Census
Directional10Thames Valley Buses network covers 95% of Reading households
Single source11Road casualties in Reading: 450 in 2022, down 15% from 2021
Verified1215% modal share for cycling/walking in Reading city centre trips
Verified13Elizabeth Line added 4 million annual passengers to Reading services post-2022
Verified14320km of footpaths in Reading's rights of way network
Directional15Congestion charge avoided but A329 traffic averages 45,000 vehicles/day
Single source1685 new bus shelters installed in Reading 2022-2023
Verified17Park & Ride usage: 500,000 passengers annually at Reading sites
Verified187% growth in rail freight through Reading 2021-2022
Verified1928 EV car club bays in Reading via Co-wheels 2023
Directional2012.3 million bike hire trips possible via Lime in Reading since 2021 launch
Single source21Flood resilience schemes protect 5,000 Reading properties along Thames
Verified2292% bus punctuality rate in Reading off-peak 2023
Verified23A33 relief road carries 60,000 vehicles daily
Verified241,800 wheelchair-accessible taxis licensed in Reading 2023
Directional25Digital traffic signals reduce delays by 20% at 50 Reading junctions
Single sourceTransport and Infrastructure Interpretation
Reading’s transport story is a bustling paradox of impressive trains and stubborn cars, where the future is arriving by rail and bike, but the present is still stuck in traffic.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 2READINGreading.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 3NOMnom.isVisit source
- Reference 4GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 5ZOOPLAzoopla.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 6NOMISWEBnomisweb.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 7VISITREADINGvisitreading.comVisit source
- Reference 8CUSHMANWAKEFIELDcushmanwakefield.comVisit source
- Reference 9COMPARE-SCHOOL-PERFORMANCEcompare-school-performance.service.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 10GET-INFORMATION-SCHOOLSget-information-schools.service.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 11READINGreading.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 12READING-COLLEGEreading-college.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 13EXPLORE-EDUCATION-STATISTICSexplore-education-statistics.service.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 14OFFICEFORSTUDENTSofficeforstudents.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 15ISCisc.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 16LANDREGISTRYlandregistry.data.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 17DATAPORTALdataportal.orr.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 18READING-BUSESreading-buses.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 19ZAP-MAPzap-map.comVisit source
- Reference 20TFLtfl.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 21HIGHWAYSMAGAZINEhighwaysmagazine.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 22ORRorr.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 23LIli.meVisit source
- Reference 24NATIONALHIGHWAYSnationalhighways.co.ukVisit source