List of counties of England by population in 1981

This is a list of counties of England, ordered by population as at the 1981 census.

RankCountyTotal population1Greater London6,495,1632West Midlands2,605,1133Greater Manchester2,547,0454West Yorkshire1,999,0435Merseyside1,481,8576Essex1,446,6217Kent1,428,9218Hampshire1,423,9159Lancashire1,348,44010South Yorkshire1,282,16111Tyne and Wear1,120,10012Staffordshire999,53913Surrey974,47914Nottinghamshire967,73415Hertfordshire936,12316Devon919,48317Cheshire911,98018Derbyshire895,14919Avon891,56020Humberside835,64321Leicestershire827,40722Norfolk676,68823Berkshire662,68924North Yorkshire643,47525West Sussex641,07126East Sussex633,61327Hereford and Worcester617,67128Durham594,78829Suffolk583,59430Dorset570,32131Cambridgeshire563,77332Cleveland558,82033Buckinghamshire553,22534Lincolnshire538,26935Northamptonshire519,04636Wiltshire504,98437Oxfordshire500,55438Bedfordshire497,63939Gloucestershire487,80640Cumbria467,35541Warwickshire466,04542Somerset413,04843Cornwall & Isles of Scilly412,83544Salop (Shropshire)365,35545Northumberland291,17546Isle of Wight113,008TOTAL45,214,323

References 1981 census