Just how many people are leaving London? According to the Office for National Statistics, figures show that 340,500 people moved from London in the 12 months leading up to June 2018. This was the largest recorded figure of London leavers since 2012. Figures like these mean that London is now England’s only region in which more people are leaving the area than they are arriving. Instead of new arrivals from other British cities, London now relies on those from overseas to maintain a steady population.
Who is Leaving London?
So now we know the statistics on the number of London leavers, let’s look at the demographics of the people that believe it’s time to leave London and head elsewhere.
Out of the many people leaving London, a large proportion of these are young professionals. Figures show that many London boroughs have seen a decline in the number of 18-34-year-olds living in the area over the last seven years, with Hammersmith and Fulham seeing the largest decrease of 5.39%. Manchester is one Northern hotspot which has seen a surge in the number of young people moving to the city. Since 2002, the young population of Manchester was said to have grown by 43,875 by 2017. In 2016, 4,150 people reportedly moved from London to Manchester, many of these likely to have been young professionals seeking new opportunities up North.
Another group beginning to look away from the capital are young families, who are looking to start a new life for themselves and their families in different UK locations. Unlike young professionals who tend to continue city life in vibrant spots like Manchester and Liverpool, families are more likely to embrace more rural areas, and not necessarily those up North. More than half of those who moved to Hertfordshire districts Hertsmere and Broxbourne, for instance, were from London.