A national census of the population has taken place once a decade since 1801 with a break in 1941 as a result of World War Two. The data from the Census is held by the Office of National Statistics and is available electronically from 1981.
The table below gives population figures for the old Merton, Morden, Mitcham and Wimbledon boundaries that were used before the London Borough of Merton was established in 1965.
| Year | Merton | Morden | Mitcham | Wimbledon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 813 | 512 | 3,466 | 1,591 |
| 1811 | 905 | 549 | 4,175 | 1,914 |
| 1821 | 1,177 | 638 | 4,453 | 2,195 |
| 1831 | 1,447 | 655 | 4,387 | 2,195 |
| 1841 | 1,914 | 685 | 4,532 | 2,630 |
| 1851 | 1,870 | 628 | 4,641 | 2,693 |
| 1861 | 1,822 | 654 | 5,078 | 4,644 |
| 1871 | 2,139 | 787 | 6,498 | 9,087 |
| 1881 | 2,480 | 694 | 8,960 | 15,950 |
| 1891 | 3,360 | 763 | 12,127 | 25,761 |
| 1901 | 4,510 | 960 | 14,903 | 41,652 |
| 1911 | 12,938 | 1,202 | 29,606 | 54,966 |
| 1921 | 16,177 | 1,355 | 35,119 | 61,418 |
| 1931 | 28,609 | 12,618 | 56,859 | 59,524 |
| 1941 (no figures available: World War II) | - | - | - | - |
| 1951 | 39,313 | 35,417 | 67,269 | 58,141 |
| 1961 | - | 68,011 | 63,690 | 57,312 |
Figures for the London Borough of Merton are available from 1971.
| Year | Merton total population estimate |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 177,324 |
| 1981 | 166,100 |
| 1991 | 168,470 |
| 2001 | 187,908 |
| 2011 | 199,693 |
| 2021 | 215,187 |
See also
Contact us
Consultation and Community Engagement Team
Merton Council
Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Email: getinvolved@merton.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8545 3896