Is Birkenhead in Wirral a nice place to live or is it a bit rough? We have collated a series of socio-economic statistics and demographics from UK government sources such as the 2021 Census and the Index of Multiple Deprivation. They should give you a broad snapshot of the area and the surrounding locations. Are the residents of Birkenhead older than the national average or younger? What is the population of Birkenhead and Wirral? What is the claimant count in Birkenhead and how many residents are unemployed? This page should provide you with the answers.Birkenhead Education Statistics
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census to found of the level of education Birkenhead residents have in terms of formal qualifications as a percentage. The UK government breaks qualifications down into 7 levels. A detailed explanation of these levels can be found here. However, the Census groups these into just 4 \'levels\'. Here are some examples of the qualifications each census level represents when not stated;
- Level 1 - GCSE grades D, E, F, or G & below
- Level 2 - GCSE A*, A, B, C or O Level grades A, B or C
- Level 3 - A or AS qualification at any grade
- Level 4 - HNC, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree or Phd
In this first table we have compared Birkenhead to the national average for England.
| Level | Oxton | England |
|---|
| No Qualifications | 15.82% | 18.08% |
| Level 1 | 8.63% | 9.69% |
| Level 2 | 13.2% | 13.32% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.52% | 5.32% |
| Level 3 | 17.95% | 16.92% |
| Level 4 | 35.59% | 33.92% |
Birkenhead & Wirral Immigration Statistics
We have analysed the Census 2021 raw data on country of birth and compiled immigration statistics as percentages of the population. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. Below are the figures for Birkenhead in the Wirral local area district.
| Area | Born in UK | Born outside UK |
|---|
| Oxton | 93.64% | 6.36% |
|---|
| Wirral | 94.56% | 5.44% |
|---|
| North West | 88.33% | 11.67% |
|---|
| England | 82.65% | 17.35% |
|---|
Birkenhead compared to other wards in Wirral
| # | Ward | Born in UK | Born outside UK |
|---|
| 1 | Birkenhead and Tranmere | 87.68% | 12.32% |
|---|
| 2 | Rock Ferry | 92.22% | 7.78% |
|---|
| 3 | Bidston and St James | 93.23% | 6.77% |
|---|
| 4 | Oxton | 93.64% | 6.36% |
|---|
| 5 | Claughton | 94.01% | 5.99% |
|---|
| 6 | West Kirby and Thurstaston | 94.04% | 5.96% |
|---|
| 7 | Hoylake and Meols | 94.25% | 5.76% |
|---|
| 8 | Seacombe | 94.28% | 5.72% |
|---|
| 9 | Bromborough | 94.44% | 5.56% |
|---|
| 10 | Heswall | 94.68% | 5.32% |
|---|
| 11 | Prenton | 94.94% | 5.06% |
|---|
| 12 | New Brighton | 95.06% | 4.94% |
|---|
| 13 | Liscard | 95.09% | 4.91% |
|---|
| 14 | Leasowe and Moreton East | 95.58% | 4.42% |
|---|
| 15 | Bebington | 95.6% | 4.4% |
|---|
| 16 | Clatterbridge | 95.64% | 4.36% |
|---|
| 17 | Upton | 95.65% | 4.35% |
|---|
| 18 | Wallasey | 96.11% | 3.89% |
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| 19 | Pensby and Thingwall | 96.16% | 3.84% |
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| 20 | Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 96.16% | 3.84% |
|---|
| 21 | Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 96.27% | 3.73% |
|---|
| 22 | Eastham | 96.72% | 3.28% |
|---|
';Birkenhead is ranked 4 out of 22 wards in Wirral for the number of residents born outside of the UK.How many residents own or rent their home in Birkenhead and Wirral
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census and calculated what proportion of people in Birkenhead either own or rent their home. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. 67.77 of residents own their home either outright or mortgaged. 32.23 of Birkenhead residents rent their home either privately or through a social landlord. | Area | Owned | Rented |
|---|
| Oxton | 67.77% | 32.23% |
| Wirral | 65% | 35% |
| North West | 62.33% | 37.67% |
| England | 61.31% | 38.69% |
Birkenhead has a higher level of home ownership than than the national average.
Birkenhead compared to other wards in Wirral
| # | Ward | Owned | Rented |
|---|
| 1 | Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 87.77% | 12.23% |
|---|
| 2 | Heswall | 87.47% | 12.53% |
|---|
| 3 | Clatterbridge | 86.37% | 13.63% |
|---|
| 4 | West Kirby and Thurstaston | 80.49% | 19.51% |
|---|
| 5 | Pensby and Thingwall | 80.32% | 19.69% |
|---|
| 6 | Wallasey | 79.28% | 20.72% |
|---|
| 7 | Eastham | 79.05% | 20.95% |
|---|
| 8 | Hoylake and Meols | 78.76% | 21.24% |
|---|
| 9 | Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 76.94% | 23.06% |
|---|
| 10 | Bebington | 74.16% | 25.84% |
|---|
| 11 | Prenton | 72.81% | 27.19% |
|---|
| 12 | Oxton | 67.77% | 32.23% |
|---|
| 13 | Claughton | 64.87% | 35.13% |
|---|
| 14 | New Brighton | 61.8% | 38.2% |
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| 15 | Bromborough | 61.76% | 38.24% |
|---|
| 16 | Liscard | 58.51% | 41.49% |
|---|
| 17 | Leasowe and Moreton East | 58.06% | 41.94% |
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| 18 | Upton (Wirral) | 57.8% | 42.2% |
|---|
| 19 | Seacombe | 40.87% | 59.13% |
|---|
| 20 | Rock Ferry | 37.6% | 62.4% |
|---|
| 21 | Bidston and St James | 35.73% | 64.27% |
|---|
| 22 | Birkenhead and Tranmere | 30.29% | 69.71% |
|---|
Birkenhead is ranked 12 out of 22 wards in Wirral for the percentage of home owners.Birkenhead Unemployment Statistics
Since the introduction of Universal Credit, The Department for Work & Pensions have not issued any statistics (in our view) that can be used to ascertain the levels of unemployment or under employment in the UK, just meaningless geographic counts. However, the Office of National Statistics does publish claimant counts of people receiving out of work benefits, be that legacy Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit as a proportion of people over 16. These figures are usually updated once a month and are for Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authority Districts. So below are the figures of Wirral.| Area | Unemployed | Yearly Change |
|---|
| Wirral | 3.8% | -0.3% |
| North West | 4.3% | -0.3% |
| England | 3.8% | -0.3% |
| UK | 3.7% | -0.3% |
| Economic Status | Proportion |
|---|
| In Employment | 54.15% |
| In Part-Time Work | 25.69% |
| Unemployed | 4.14% |
Birkenhead Health Statistics
Oxton has a lower proportion of residents (very_good_pc-$ward_health->very_good_pc, 2)%) describing their health as very good than the national average for England.| Area | VG | G | F | B | VB |
|---|
| Oxton | 46.37% | 32.74% | 14.43% | 5.22% | 1.25% |
| Wirral | 46.49% | 32.07% | 14.17% | 5.57% | 1.69% |
| North West | 47.73% | 32.71% | 13.36% | 4.77% | 1.43% |
| England | 48.49% | 33.71% | 12.65% | 3.98% | 1.17% |
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad
How has the health of residents in Wirral changed since 2011?
Wirral residents who describe their health as either good or very good has increased by 0.35% between the 2011 and 2021 census.| Year | VG | G | F | B | VB |
|---|
| 2011 | 46.29% | 31.92% | 14.29% | 5.77% | 1.73% |
| 2021 | 46.49% | 32.07% | 14.17% | 5.57% | 1.69% |
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad
Birkenhead Age Distribution Statistics
We have taken the raw data from the 2021 Census and the calculated the proportion of age groups in Oxton.| Age Band | Proportion |
|---|
| 4 & under |  |
| 5 - 9 years | |
| 10 - 15 years | |
| 16 - 19 years | |
| 20 - 24 years | |
| 25 - 34 years | |
| 35 - 49 years | |
| 50 - 64 years | |
| 65 - 74 years | |
| 75 - 84 years | |
| 85 years & over | |
What are the occupations of the residents of Birkenhead?
The largest employment sector in Birkenhead is Professional Occupations. The smallest employment sector is Process Plant & Machine Operatives.| Sector | Proportion |
|---|
| Professional Occupations | 23.59% |
| Associate Professional & Technical | 13.95% |
| Managers, Directors & Senior Officials | 11.56% |
| Administrative & Secretarial | 11.17% |
| Skilled Trades | 9.39% |
| Caring, leisure & Other Services | 8.91% |
| Elementary Occupations | 7.45% |
| Process Plant & Machine Operatives | 6.98% |
What is the population of Birkenhead and Wirral?
The table below contains the populations figures for each ward in Wirral including Birkenhead. These population ONS figures are estimated are dated Mid 2020.
| Ward | Population |
|---|
| Bebington | 15669 |
| Bidston and St James | 16256 |
| Birkenhead and Tranmere | 16926 |
| Bromborough | 16427 |
| Clatterbridge | 13986 |
| Claughton | 14201 |
| Eastham | 14195 |
| Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 13728 |
| Heswall | 13126 |
| Hoylake and Meols | 13451 |
| Leasowe and Moreton East | 15086 |
| Liscard | 16086 |
| Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 13958 |
| New Brighton | 15162 |
| Oxton | 13784 |
| Pensby and Thingwall | 13024 |
| Prenton | 14786 |
| Rock Ferry | 14751 |
| Seacombe | 15609 |
| Upton | 16924 |
| Wallasey | 14658 |
| West Kirby and Thurstaston | 12543 |
| Wirral Total | 324336 |
Last updated: 20/02/2024, Additional Sources: Office for National Statistics & Department for Work & Pensions.
