Local overview

Key Facts

• Barnsley is home to 244,574 residents (Census, 2021) and the average age in the borough is 42 years.
• There are 13,400 more people living in the Barnsley than in 2011, which is a 5.8 percent increase.
• Population projections suggest the increase will continue in the coming years, with the number of residents increasing by a further 22,500 over the next decade. This will potentially impact the provision of health services within primary and secondary care.
• Barnsley’s population is ageing. Between 2020 and 2040, the over 65 population is predicted to grow by 43 percent. This is a faster rate of growth than is predicted for the Yorkshire and Humber region as a whole (34 percent). The impact of this is a growing and costly demand for health and social care services. However, if older people can stay healthy for longer, they can have a positive impact on the local and national economy as well as remaining engaged members of society.
• According to the 2021 Census, 3.1 percent of our resident population class themselves as part of an ethnic minority group, this is 7,600 residents.10,200 residents report their main language is not English (4.2 percent).
• Around 40 percent of the Barnsley population are living with some form of chronic illness or disability.
• Census 2021 data shows that Barnsley saw Yorkshire and The Humber's joint largest percentage-point fall (alongside Wakefield) in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot (from 13.4 percent in 2011 to 10.6 percent in 2021).
• There’s a strong correlation between deprivation and poor health. According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019, Barnsley was the 38th most deprived local authority in the country (of 317). There are over 50,000 residents in Barnsley living in the most deprived 10 percent of communities in England.
• Nearly 1 in 4 of Barnsley residents with chronic illness or disability live in the most deprived 10 percent of communities in England. This is compared to less than 1 in 100 people in Barnsley living in the least deprived areas who live with a chronic illness or disability
• The employment rate in Barnsley is slightly lower than the England average with 71.9 percent of the working age population in employment compared to 75.8 percent nationally.

More data on the Barnsley population

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)

• Picture of Health Tool - this resource provides headline intelligence about population health, including both regional and local authority level data. The interactive tool supports place-based health needs assessments and prioritisation with a snapshot of key public health information.
• Local Authority Health Profiles - the local authority health profiles provide an overview of health for each local authority in England.
• Public Health Outcomes Framework (Fingertips) - the Public Health Outcomes Framework sets out a vision for public health. This is to improve and protect the nation's health, and improve the health of the poorest fastest. The framework contains public health indicators (grouped into four domains) that help focus our understanding of how well we're doing. Data are published as part of a quarterly update cycle in August, November, February, and May.
• Local Health: small area data (maps and charts) - local health is a collection of health indicators presented for small geographical areas. These indicators are for local authority public health analysts so they can assess and target inequalities in specific areas.

Office for National Statistics

• Profile for Barnsley: 2021 Census - area profiles allow users to view local statistics across different topics and compare them to national statistics. Data is from Census 2021.
• Maps for Barnsley: 2021 Census - these Census maps can be used to find out what people's lives were like in Barnsley in March 2021
• How life has changed in Barnsley: 2021 Census - a summary of how life has changed in Barnsley between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021)
• Create your own custom area profile: Census 2021 - create your own profile for local areas in England and Wales using Census 2021 data.
• Health Index for England: How health has changed in your local area 2015 to 2020 - an interactive tool to explore how health changed in each local authority area across England between 2015 and 2020, according to the Health Index.
• Labour Market Profile for Barnsley - A profile on key labour market statistics for Barnsley. This includes:
  • resident population
  • employment and unemployment
  • economic inactivity
  • employment by occupation
  • qualifications
  • earnings by residence
  • out-of-work benefits
  • jobs (total jobs / employee jobs)
  • Jobcentre plus vacancies and VAT registered businesses

Health Foundation

• Local authority dashboard: What builds good health? - The Health Foundation local authority dashboard brings together data and insights on the state of health and health inequalities across all local authorities in England. You can explore how our health is shaped by factors such as housing, employment, and income, and explore differences between neighbourhoods in each local authority.

LG inform reports 

• Census 2021 Usual resident population by sex and age for Barnsley - this report provides an overview of the "Census 2021 rounded population and household estimates for local authorities in England and Wales, by sex and five-year age" as published by the Office for National Statistics, with a particular focus on Barnsley.         
• Demographic indicators for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council - this report presents a range of demographic statistics that are available at a local level to outline the population structure of Barnsley.