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 2014 from the Office for National Statistics.

Densities are calculated from population and area values.

Rank	County	Population	Area (in km²)	Density (people/km²)
1	Kent	1,510,354	3,544	426
2	Essex	1,431,953	3,464	413
3	Hampshire	1,346,136	3,679	366
4	Lancashire	1,184,735	2,903	408
5	Surrey	1,161,256	1,663	699
6	Hertfordshire	1,154,766	1,643	703
7	Norfolk	877,710	5,371	163
8	Staffordshire	860,165	2,620	328
9	West Sussex	828,398	1,990	416
10	Nottinghamshire	801,390	2,085	384
11	Derbyshire	779,804	2,547	306
12	Devon	765,302	6,564	117
13	Suffolk	738,512	3,800	192
14	Lincolnshire	731,516	5,921	124
15	Northamptonshire	714,392	2,364	302
16	Oxfordshire	672,516	2,605	258
17	Leicestershire	667,905	2,083	321
18	Cambridgeshire	639,818	3,046	210
19	Gloucestershire	611,332	2,653	230
20	North Yorkshire	601,536	8,038	75
21	Worcestershire	575,421	1,741	331
22	Warwickshire	551,594	1,975	279
23	Somerset	541,609	3,451	157
24	East Sussex	539,766	1,709	315
25	Buckinghamshire	521,922	1,565	333
26	Cumbria	497,874	6,767	74
27	Dorset	418,269	2,542	164

References

"Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.

"Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.