Population
In 2025, 192,500 residents lived across the 2,180 square kilometres of Herefordshire
The latest population estimate is 1,500 higher than the 191,000 reported previously for mid-2024. However, revisions by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to population estimates for mid-2022 to mid-2024, following improvements to international migration data, mean that Herefordshire's population grew by around 500 people (0.2%) between mid-2024 and mid-2025. This rate of growth was broadly in line with the average for local authorities across England and Wales.
This was the slowest annual increase since 2020, driven by a marked reduction in net international migration to the county, reflecting a wider national decline in non-EU migration following changes to UK immigration policy.
Total population: 192,500
Women: 98,300 (51%)
Men: 94,200 (49%)
Aged under 16: 29,800 (16%)
Aged 16 to 64: 110,000 (57%)
Aged 65 and over: 52,700 (27%)
Herefordshire is a predominantly rural county. With a population density of 88 people per square kilometre, it is the fourth least densely populated county-level authority in England. Only Westmorland and Furness (62), Northumberland (67) and North Yorkshire (80) are less densely populated.
Herefordshire’s age structure remains older than nationally
Herefordshire has an older population than the national average, with a median age of 49.4 years compared with 40.7 years across England and Wales. Around a quarter of residents (27%) are aged 65 or over, compared with 19% nationally. The county also has a slightly higher proportion of older working-age adults aged 45 to 64 (27% versus 25%), but lower proportions of younger working-age adults aged 16 to 44 (30% versus 38%) and children aged under 16 (16% versus 18%).
Growth is entirely dependent on migration
There are consistently fewer births than deaths in Herefordshire each year. In the latest year (to mid-2025) there were 1,400 births compared to 2,400 deaths. This means that without net migration into the county the population would fall.
Major events since 2016, including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have reshaped migration patterns across England and Wales. After declining by around 800 people between mid-2017 and mid-2020, Herefordshire's population grew by more than 6,000 between mid-2020 and mid-2024 through increased net inward migration. Growth slowed in the year to mid-2025 as net international migration fell sharply.
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Ageing population
Herefordshire has higher proportions of residents in their early fifties and above than England and Wales as a whole and numbers continue to grow at a relatively higher rate.
Changing population
Since the early 90s Herefordshire’s population growth has been driven entirely by migration, since there have been fewer births than deaths over this period.
Growing population
Herefordshire has seen an overall growth of nine per cent, over the last 16 years (from 2001 to 2017), this is lower than the 12 per cent seen in England and Wales as a whole.
Population around the county
Herefordshire is one of the least densely populated areas of the country, with residents scattered across its 842 square miles. Two-fifths of our residents live in the most rural areas of the county. Hereford city has relatively high proportions of young adults (aged 20-34), whilst the market towns have the highest proportions of people aged 80 and over.