London

As the capital of the UK and England, London is a global financial, cultural, and political powerhouse. With iconic landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London, it’s a city steeped in history. London is incredibly diverse, home to over 8 million people from all over the world, and is a hub for media, education, and the arts.

Greater London is a unique administrative region that functions both as a ceremonial county and a devolved region with its own directly elected mayor and assembly. It is subdivided into 32 London boroughs and the City of London, which is a separate entity with its own governance. The boroughs operate as unitary authorities, responsible for most local government functions. London’s dense urban fabric encompasses everything from historic centres and financial districts to residential suburbs, with administrative lines often following patterns of historical development and transport infrastructure rather than natural geography.

Greater London and the City of London

Greater London is comprised of 32 London boroughs and the City of London. These London boroughs are administrative units within Greater London region, each with its own local council. The City of London, which is often referred to as the “Square Mile”, has its own unique local government, the City of London Corporation, and its own police force, while the rest of Greater London is governed by the 32 boroughs and the Metropolitan Police Service.

There are 48 Ceremonial Counties in England. Greater London and City of London are Ceremonial Counties. The City of London is unique as its own ceremonial county and authority, distinct from the London boroughs, while Greater London represents the entire metropolitan region made up of 32 boroughs plus the City of London. Within this framework, Inner London refers to 12 central boroughs—along with the City for statistical purposes—forming the historic and densely built core, whereas Outer London encompasses the remaining 20 boroughs that make up the suburban belt surrounding the capital.

London Boroughs

The UK is divided into Local Authority Districts (LADs) as the main building blocks of local government and statistical geography. In Greater London region, LADs are 32 London boroughs plus the City of London.

Local Authority District (LAD) is a statistical geography used by the ONS to describe areas governed by local authorities. LADs include: Non-metropolitan districts (often called district councils); Metropolitan districts; London boroughs; Unitary authorities; Council areas in Scotland; Local government districts in Northern Ireland. In total, there are around 360+ LADs across the UK.

International Territorial Levels in London Region

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) are a hierarchical system of geographic boundaries used for statistical purposes in the UK, specifically for regional data analysis and international comparisons. It has three levels: ITL1, ITL2, and ITL3, with ITL1 being the broadest level and ITL3 the most detailed.

London Region is one of ITL 1 areas in the UK. It is then divided ino the following ITL 2 areas (names in bold letters) and ITL 3 areas.

  • Inner London - West — Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham ⁞ Wandsworth ⁞ Westminster and City of London ⁞ Camden
  • Inner London - East — Hackney and Newham ⁞ Tower Hamlets ⁞ Haringey and Islington ⁞ Lewisham and Southwark ⁞ Lambeth
  • Outer London - East and North East — Bexley and Greenwich ⁞ Barking & Dagenham and Havering ⁞ Redbridge and Waltham Forest ⁞ Enfield
  • Outer London - South — Bromley ⁞ Croydon ⁞ Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton
  • Outer London - West and North West — Barnet ⁞ Brent ⁞ Ealing ⁞ Harrow and Hillingdon ⁞ Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames
In the UK in total there are: 12 ITLs 1, 46 ITLs 2, and 182 ITLs 3. Our information about ITLs hierarchy and names is based on this ONS website: International geographies - Office for National Statistics.

Constituencies in London

London has 75 parliamentary constituencies, encompassing diverse areas from densely populated inner-city districts to suburban zones. Political issues range from housing and transport to economic growth and cultural investment.

There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom. These constituencies are the areas each represented by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.

Population of London

London is home to around 8.87 million people (mid-2022, ONS). Spread across just 1,572 square kilometres (607 square miles), the capital has an impressive population density of 5,640 people per square kilometre—by far the highest in England.

London Population Compared to UK Regions' Figures
London Population Compared to other UK Regions

How it compares to the rest of England

  • Population share: London accounts for 15.5% of England’s total 57.1 million residents, making it the 2nd most populated region, just behind the South East.
  • Population density: At 5,640 people per km², London is extraordinarily crowded compared to the national average of 438 people per km²—5,202 more people per km²—making it the densest region in England by a wide margin.

Region detail pages