INITIAL findings from the 2021 census have been released and show a significant increase in the number of people living in Shropshire.

The first results from last year’s Census have been published giving communities across Shropshire a glimpse of how the population has changed.

Released by the Office for National Statistics, the results provide estimates on the population of England and Wales, as well as age and sex profiles of local authorities.

The results show that the population of Shropshire is 323,600, compared to 306,100 in 2011.

These results are the first of many, which will be released in phases over the coming months and into 2023. They will all be available on the ONS website, along with information and analysis to explain their importance, and will include data on ethnicity, religion, the labour market, education and housing.

For the first time, they will also include information on armed forces veterans, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Shropshire Council will be producing information and analysis for the county as the results become available.