List of two-tier counties of England

For a list including metropolitan counties and unitary authorities, see List of ceremonial 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.

In cases where a unitary authority has been detached from a shire county the population of the unitary authority is excluded. For example, Peterborough is excluded from the population figure for Cambridgeshire.

The figures are mid-year estimates for 2011 from the Office for National Statistics.

Rank	County	Population	Area (in km²)	Density (people/km²)
1	Kent	1,466,500	3,544	414
2	Essex	1,396,600	3,464	403
3	Hampshire	1,322,300	3,679	359
4	Lancashire	1,171,600	2,903	404
5	Surrey	1,135,500	1,663	683
6	Hertfordshire	1,119,800	1,643	682
7	Norfolk	859,400	5,371	160
8	Staffordshire	849,600	2,620	324
9	West Sussex	808,900	1,990	406
10	Nottinghamshire	786,700	2,085	377
11	Derbyshire	770,600	2,547	303
12	Devon	747,900	6,564	114
13	Suffolk	730,100	3,800	192
14	Lincolnshire	714,800	5,921	121
15	Northamptonshire	693,900	2,364	294
16	Oxfordshire	654,800	2,605	251
17	Leicestershire	651,200	2,083	313
18	Cambridgeshire	622,200	3,046	204
19	North Yorkshire	601,200	8,038	75
20	Gloucestershire	598,300	2,653	225
21	Worcestershire	566,500	1,741	325
22	Warwickshire	546,500	1,975	277
23	Somerset	531,600	3,451	154
24	East Sussex	527,200	1,709	309
25	Buckinghamshire	506,700	1,565	324
26	Cumbria	499,800	6,767	74
27	Dorset	413,800	2,542	163

References

"Table 8a Mid-2011 Population Estimates: Selected age groups for local authorities in England and Wales; estimated resident population;". Population Estimates for England and Wales, Mid 2011 (Census Based). Office for National Statistics. 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-11-22. 

"Standard Area Measurements - Local Authorities - Dec 2010 (SAM_LAD_DEC_2010_UK)". UK Standard Area Measurements (SAM). Office for National Statistics. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2011.