With the 2021 Census being released this week, on Tuesday the 28th of June, we are using this exclusive to look back on the Census history of Rutland, the population increase, and how this could impact the county.

The first Census in the UK was held in 1801, but the 1841 Census is regarded as the first modern Census.

From 1841, these have been held in England and Wales every 10 years, with the exception of 1941, during the second world war.

The 1841 Census found that the population of England and Wales was 18,553,124.

The population has risen to 59,597,300, according to the 2021 Census, recording a record number of individuals over the age of 65 - over 11 million.

The population has increased since the 2011 Census by 6.3%

For Rutland, this increase is even greater, with the county recording a 9.7% increase in the past decade. This increase is also high for the East Midlands, which saw an average increase of 7.7%.

However, this is less than half of the increase seen in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, where the population grew by 22.1%, the largest growth in the country.

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Rutland has also seen an increase of 31.2% in people aged 65 years and over, an increase of 4.0% in people aged 15 to 64 years, and an increase of 2.4% in children aged under 15 years. This suggests that the population of Rutland is getting older, with more couples and individuals moving here to retire, and with more staying in the county in their latter years compared to the youth of the county.

Of course, it is challenging to compare historical statistics due to the fact that Rutland became a non-metropolitan district of Leicestershire under the Local Government Act 1972, which took effect on 1 April 1974.

The original proposal was for Rutland to be merged with what is now the Melton borough, as Rutland did not meet the requirement of having a population of at least 40,000.

This would now no longer be the case, with the 2021 Census returning that Rutland now has approximately 41,000 residents.

With Rutland's ever growing population, some say the County Town of Oakham is at risk of losing the rural, Market Town feel that it is so famous for.

However others hope that an injection of people will encourage an increase in chain shops, medical provisions and better infrastructure.

What do you think?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. You can also contact us here if you have any historical pieces that you would like to share with the Oakham Nub News readers.

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We look forward to hearing from you.