Demographics
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1801 | 6,404 | — |
| 1811 | 7,502 | +17.1% |
| 1821 | 9,578 | +27.7% |
| 1831 | 11,343 | +18.4% |
| 1841 | 12,436 | +9.6% |
| 1851 | 13,232 | +6.4% |
| 1861 | 22,675 | +71.4% |
| 1871 | 32,119 | +41.6% |
| 1881 | 41,563 | +29.4% |
| 1891 | 58,432 | +40.6% |
| 1901 | 84,784 | +45.1% |
| 1911 | 123,023 | +45.1% |
| 1921 | 169,204 | +37.5% |
| 1931 | 232,722 | +37.5% |
| 1941 | 272,356 | +17.0% |
| 1951 | 318,770 | +17.0% |
| 1961 | 311,951 | −2.1% |
| 1971 | 305,338 | −2.1% |
| 1981 | 290,204 | −5.0% |
| 1991 | 299,934 | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 314,561 | +4.9% |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through time | ||
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 6,404; and the area was characterised by farming and woodland — with settlement principally around the Great North Road. By 1830, a new turnpike, the Finchley Road was constructed and horse-drawn omnibuses introduced. The population rose dramatically with the arrival of the trams and railways in the middle of 19th century, and new estates were built to house commuters. As industry relocated away from London during the 1960s, the population entered a decline, that has begun to reverse with new housing developments on brownfield sites.
According to the 2001 census the borough then had a population of 314,564 though the most recent ONS projection for 2008 is 331,500. 67% of householders are owner-occupiers. 47.3% of people described themselves as Christian, with the second largest group being Jewish at 14.8%, the highest percentage in any local government area in the United Kingdom. The third largest was people who said they had no religion at 12.8%. Just over a quarter of people belonged to non-white ethnic groups, up from 18% in the 1991 censsus. 12.3% were Asian and 6.0% black. Barnet has the largest Chinese population of any London borough at 6,379.
Read more about this topic: London Borough Of Barnet