List of two-tier counties of England

This is a list of two-tier counties of England by population.

It includes those non-metropolitan counties (also known as shire counties) with a two-tier county council structure and does not include metropolitan counties or unitary authorities.

Where a unitary authority has separated from a shire county the population of the unitary authority is counted elsewhere. For example, the population of York is not included in North Yorkshire in this table.

The figures are mid-year estimates for 2019 from the Office for National Statistics.[1][2]

Densities are calculated from population and area values.

Rank	County	Population	Area (in km²)	Density (people/km²)
1	Kent	1581555	3544	446
2	Essex	1489189	3459	431
3	Hampshire	1382542	3678	376
4	Lancashire	1219799	2894	422
5	Surrey	1196236	1663	720
6	Hertfordshire	1189519	1643	724
7	Norfolk	907760	5384	169
8	Staffordshire	879560	2620	336
9	West Sussex	863980	1991	434
10	Nottinghamshire	828224	2085	397
11	Derbyshire	802694	2547	315
12	Devon	802375	6564	122
13	Suffolk	761350	3800	200
14	Lincolnshire	761224	5939	128
15	Northamptonshire	753278	2364	319
16	Leicestershire	706155	2083	339
17	Oxfordshire	691667	2605	266
18	Cambridgeshire	653537	3046	215
19	Gloucestershire	637070	2653	240
20	North Yorkshire	618054	8037	77
21	Worcestershire	595786	1741	342
22	Warwickshire	577933	1975	293
23	Somerset	562225	3451	163
24	East Sussex	557229	1709	326
25	Cumbria	500012	6768	74

References

1. "Population Estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mid-2019". Office for National Statistics. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
2. "Standard Area Measurements (2016) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom". Office for National Statistics. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.