THE population of the south-east is projected to grow to just over 10 million by 2033 – an increase of 20 per cent on 2008.

The figure is two per cent more than the increase for England as a whole. A newly-published report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that in mid-2009, the population of the south-east stood at 8.4 million, more than any other UK country or region.

The portrait also includes a host of key facts and figures on unitary and local authorities within the region’s seven counties of Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

Besides population, the report also takes an in-depth statistical look at other aspects of the region – for example economy, employment, earnings, and house prices.

The number of people living in the south-east increased by 1.07 million (15 per cent) between 1984 and 2009. Between 2008 and 2009, the population of the region increased by 0.8 per cent (about 67,000). This represented a slightly higher percentage increase than nationally. Only London and the east had higher percentage increases over this period.

In 2009, the south-east’s population density was 440 people per sq km, the third highest of the nine English regions and substantially higher than the population density for the UK and England (255 and 398 people per sq km respectively).

Within the region, the highest population densities, more than 10 times the average for the region, were found in the urban authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton (5,100 and 4,800 people per sq km respectively). Portsmouth has the highest population density of any unitary or local authority outside London. Both Chichester and west Oxfordshire have population densities that are less than a third of the regional average (143 per sq km), reflecting the rural character of these areas.

Higher proportions of older people are found in the southern and coastal parts of the south-east. Milton Keynes had the fastest growing population in England in the 25 years to 2009, growing by 65 per cent (94,000). Bracknell Forest and Ashford (Kent) were the next fastest with increases of 33 and 29 per cent respectively. Other key findings of the report include: l There are nearly 3.5 million households in the south-east and this is expected to increase by about one million over the next 25 years.

l Housing in the region is among the least affordable in England with an average price of £203,000 in 2009, 19 per cent above the national average.

l Average earnings in the south-east were £514 per week in 2009, £25 (five per cent) above the UK average.

l One in five of people in employment were managers or senior officials.