Defining London’s smallest borough should be straightforward. But surely this depends on whether the measurement is based on population or area.
It turns out that the question of which city borough is the smallest is not as straightforward as it first seems.
The present-day London Boroughs were established on April 1, 1965, at the same time as Greater London. Each borough is a local council-governed region of London.
There are a total of 32, including 12 inner and 20 outside boroughs.
The population of the City of London is only 8,200 individuals. But officially, the City of London is not a borough, although it is sometimes grouped with the others.
Instead of having its own borough council, it is managed by the City of London Corporation. Therefore, we are eliminating it from our list.
Continue reading to find out the smallest boroughs in London.
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Hammersmith & Fulham
1. Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a borough with royal status in Inner London.
It is known as the smallest borough in London and the second-smallest district in England.
Also, this administrative region is one of the most densely populated in the United Kingdom.
Kensington & Chelsea has a population of 155,910 people. This may have something to do with the fact that the average home price in the borough is currently just under £2 million.
However, the population growth rate for Kensington and Chelsea between mid-2020 and mid-2021 was 0.5%, which is 1.4% higher than the average population growth rate for the ten years prior to mid-2021 (-0.9%).
The most recent mid-2021 population projections place the population density of Kensington and Chelsea at 11,873 inhabitants per square kilometer (km2).
The population density has increased during the past decade.
Additionally, at 4.7 square miles, Kensington & Chelsea is London’s smallest borough by area (12.2 sq km).
It has wealthy neighborhoods like Kensington, Notting Hill, Chelsea, South Kensington, and Knightsbridge.
The Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an area of architectural and historic significance. Its five square kilometers are renowned for its attractive residential streets and squares.
70% of this is comprised of conservation areas. Many embassies and London landmarks are located inside the Royal Borough.
2. Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames, usually called Kingston-upon-Thames, is an outer borough and royal borough of London, England.
It is located around 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of London’s central business district.
It is situated on the south bank of the Thames and is located within the historic county of Surrey.
Kingston upon Thames has the smallest population of any outer London borough, with just 176,107 individuals. All other outlying London boroughs have populations over two hundred thousand.
After Kensington and Chelsea, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South West London has the smallest population of any London borough and is the seventh smallest borough in terms of land area.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), there are 176,107 people residing in the borough.
21.7% are children/young people (0 to 17 years old), 65.0% are individuals of working age (18 to 64 years old), and 13.3% are 65 or older.
Kingston, in comparison to the rest of England, has a young population, with a median age of 36, 2 years. Despite this young demographic, there are a significant number of residents aged 90 and older.
3. Hammersmith & Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham is one of London’s smallest boroughs with a significant past and an even more promising future.
Hammersmith and Fulham are one of the thirteen inner London boroughs located in the central-western portion of London along the transportation corridors between the City and Heathrow airport.
It is a long, narrow borough that runs north to south and is bordered on the south and southwest by a river.
Six London boroughs border it: Brent to the north, Kensington and Chelsea to the east, Wandsworth and Richmond-Upon-Thames to the south, and Ealing and Hounslow to the west.
There are 53 parks, open spaces, and cemeteries in the borough. The Thames River flows through Hammersmith and Fulham.
Hammersmith and Fulham is the fourth most densely populated local government in England and Wales.
It is the third smallest of the London boroughs, excluding the City of London, at 1,640 hectares.
At the time of the 2011 Census, the population of the borough was estimated to be 182,493.
Current estimates for 2018 indicate that the population has increased to 185,004, an increase of 1.4%; this was the third-lowest population growth in London.
Between 2011 and 2018, population changes in London’s local governments ranged from 21% growth in Tower Hamlets to 1.2% growth in Kensington and Chelsea.
The largest contributor to the borough’s population growth has been a natural increase or the surplus of births over deaths.
In Hammersmith and Fulham, births surpass deaths by 2,500 to 900, resulting in a net increase of 1,600 per year since 2011.
In the past five years, the borough has begun to acquire residents through international migration, averaging one thousand per year, but has continued to lose population through internal movement, between two thousand and three thousand each year.
It is anticipated that the population would continue to increase, but at a quicker rate than between 2011 and 2018. The expected growth rate for the period 2018-2031 is 9.1%.
The population aged 75 and older is anticipated to experience the greatest percentage rise (40%) followed by those aged 65 to 74 (24%), 55 to 64 (17%), and 16 to 24 (14%).
In the borough, there are more women (51%) than men (49%), which is slightly more than the regional and national averages.