Portsmouth is well-known for its high population density.

The number of people living in Portsmouth has decreased in the past few years, according to new statistics.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a list of the change in the estimated size of the population for local authority areas in England and Wales. This list shows the estimated population size as of mid-2025, what the actual figure was in 2024, and the percentage change between the two.

Estimated figures suggest that the populations in Portsmouth and Gosport have increased, while decreases have been noted in Fareham and Havant.

Portsmouth has been famed for having the highest population density in the UK, outside of London; even with these estimated numbers, that fact would still remain the same.

The greatest increase of estimated population in our patch comes from the Winchester borough, which encompasses not only the city itself, but parishes such as Swanmore and Bishops Waltham.

Here are the reported figures from the ONS:

Portsmouth: 211,475 (212,936, -0.69 per cent

Fareham: 115,373 (115,208), 0.14 per cent

Gosport: 82,618 (82,727), -0.13 per cent

Havant: 127,362 (126,794), 0.45 per cent

Winchester: 136,856 (135,444), 1.04 per cent