The population of the Shropshire Council area was 306,100 in 2011 compared to 283,300 in 2001, an increase of 8 per cent. In Telford & Wrekin the population grew to 166,600, a 5 per cent rise from 158,600 in 2001.

The population of the West Midlands was 5.6 million, an increase of 6 per cent from 2001 when it was 5.3 million.

By comparison the population across the whole of England and Wales increased by 7 per cent to 56.1 million, the largest growth in population in any 10-year period since census taking began in 1801.

Jil Matheson, National Statistician said:

“I’d like to thank everyone in the West Midlands for their support. The 2011 Census has been a resounding success and I am proud of the incredible effort that has been put in. It is a rich source of information about the population and its characteristics. Across England and Wales around 19 out of 20 people responded and we have excellent statistical methods for ensuring we have a complete estimate of the whole population. These statistics will provide valuable information for planners, policy-makers and the public for years to come.”

Across England and Wales there was a 13 per cent increase in the number of children under five, with over 400,000 more under fives in 2011compared with 2001. In the West Midlands there are now 36,800 more children under five compared to 2001, an increase of 12 per cent. Birmingham has the largest proportion of under fives at 8 per cent, with the smallest proportion in Malvern Hills 4 per cent.

The total number of households in the West Midlands was 2.3 million.

Glen Watson, Census Director said:

“The whole operation has worked well. We met our targets both for response and quality. We’ve had fantastic support from the public, and also from voluntary groups, community groups and local authorities throughout England and Wales. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved, including the 35,000 people who worked on the data collection and helped to make the census a success.”