Lewisham: local statistics
Lewisham is a London borough in London, home to an estimated 301,037 people (mid-2025). This page brings together 10 official figures for the area, each with its period, publisher and the address it was read from. See also who has power over Lewisham, from the council up to the G20.
Key figures
What the figures show
11,085 businesses were registered for VAT or PAYE in Lewisham in March 2026, 5% more than in 2016. That is 37 for every 1,000 residents, the lowest of the 33 council areas in London.
The claimant count for Lewisham stood at 14,610 in August 2026, or 6.8% of residents aged 16 to 64; the rate for London was 5.5%. A year earlier the rate was 6.9%. Since August 2021 the rate has ranged between 5.5% (January 2023) and 8.0% (August 2021).
A girl born in Lewisham in 2022 to 2024 could expect to live 83.6 years and a boy 78.9 years, on the ONS's period measure, compared with 83.3 and 79.5 years across England. For women that is 0.4 years more than in 2012 to 2014; for men, 0.1 more. It is the 26th highest for women of the 32 council areas in London.
The ONS estimates that 301,037 people lived in Lewisham in mid-2025, down 0.5% on a year earlier. The ten-year change since mid-2015 is +1.9% (London: +5.4%), the 24th fastest growth of the 33 council areas in London. The series peaked at 305,906 in mid-2019.
The Annual Population Survey estimates that 79.1% of Lewisham residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026 (give or take 4.5 points), against 74.8% across London. Its lowest reading in the series was 74.8% and its highest 83.5%.
Homes in Lewisham sold for an average of £488,658 in July 2026, up 0.7% on a year before. That is the 22nd highest of 33 in London (regional average £550,037). Prices are 12% above July 2016 and at their highest July level in the series. Dividing the average price by the median annual pay of full-time employees living in Lewisham (£45,702) gives a ratio of 10.7. That ratio is the 23rd highest ratio of 32 in London.
A Band D home in Lewisham pays an average of £2,237.33 in council tax in 2026-27, 4.8% more than in 2025-26. That makes it 12th of 33 in London, counting from the highest. Ten years earlier, in 2016-17, it was £1,378.66.
In the year to March 2026, 28,390 offences were recorded by police in Lewisham: 94.3 per 1,000 people, 13th of 33 in London, counting from the highest rate. That compares with 97.5 per 1,000 the year before. Across the 11 years shown it ranged from 82.8 to 99.5 per 1,000. Fraud is not included.
Median weekly pay for full-time employees who live in Lewisham was £891.80 in April 2025, or £45,702 over a year. It is the 20th highest of the 32 council areas in London, and 1.2% less than across London. Measured by where people work rather than where they live, the median is £869.30, £22.50 lower. In 2015 the residents' median was £606.60, so it has risen 47% before inflation.
History
Population (mid-year)
| 2015 | 295,364 |
| 2016 | 298,809 |
| 2017 | 300,924 |
| 2018 | 303,127 |
| 2019 | 305,906 |
| 2020 | 304,169 |
| 2021 | 300,013 |
| 2022 | 300,122 |
| 2023 | 301,374 |
| 2024 | 302,432 |
| 2025 | 301,037 |
Average house price (same month each year)
| July 2016 | £435,767 |
| July 2017 | £439,595 |
| July 2018 | £438,945 |
| July 2019 | £435,467 |
| July 2020 | £446,541 |
| July 2021 | £443,741 |
| July 2022 | £475,875 |
| July 2023 | £466,990 |
| July 2024 | £479,616 |
| July 2025 | £485,224 |
| July 2026 | £488,658 |
Median weekly pay, residents
| 2015 | £606.60 a week |
| 2016 | £617.00 a week |
| 2017 | £633.70 a week |
| 2018 | £622.20 a week |
| 2019 | £654.10 a week |
| 2020 | £689.70 a week |
| 2021 | £708.00 a week |
| 2022 | £706.70 a week |
| 2023 | £775.60 a week |
| 2024 | £839.00 a week |
| 2025 | £891.80 a week |
Average Band D council tax
| 2016-17 | £1,378.66 |
| 2017-18 | £1,437.70 |
| 2018-19 | £1,498.10 |
| 2019-20 | £1,584.45 |
| 2020-21 | £1,646.44 |
| 2021-22 | £1,743.62 |
| 2022-23 | £1,816.81 |
| 2023-24 | £1,926.27 |
| 2024-25 | £2,037.98 |
| 2025-26 | £2,135.13 |
| 2026-27 | £2,237.33 |
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents
| 2015/16 | 83.6 per 1,000 |
| 2016/17 | 83.5 per 1,000 |
| 2017/18 | 82.8 per 1,000 |
| 2018/19 | 88.5 per 1,000 |
| 2019/20 | 94.0 per 1,000 |
| 2020/21 | 88.6 per 1,000 |
| 2021/22 | 92.1 per 1,000 |
| 2022/23 | 95.3 per 1,000 |
| 2023/24 | 99.5 per 1,000 |
| 2024/25 | 97.5 per 1,000 |
| 2025/26 | 94.3 per 1,000 |
Employment rate
| 2015/16 | 74.8% |
| 2016/17 | 77.3% |
| 2017/18 | 83.5% |
| 2018/19 | 76.9% |
| 2019/20 | 81.6% |
| 2020/21 | 78.4% |
| 2021/22 | 77.5% |
| 2022/23 | 82.2% |
| 2023/24 | 75.5% |
| 2024/25 | 75.6% |
| 2025/26 | 79.1% |
Life expectancy, women
| 2012 to 2014 | 83.2 years |
| 2013 to 2015 | 83.1 years |
| 2014 to 2016 | 83.2 years |
| 2015 to 2017 | 83.6 years |
| 2016 to 2018 | 83.7 years |
| 2017 to 2019 | 83.6 years |
| 2018 to 2020 | 83.0 years |
| 2019 to 2021 | 82.6 years |
| 2020 to 2022 | 82.6 years |
| 2021 to 2023 | 82.9 years |
| 2022 to 2024 | 83.6 years |
Registered businesses
| 2016 | 10,595 |
| 2017 | 11,185 |
| 2018 | 10,970 |
| 2019 | 11,345 |
| 2020 | 11,505 |
| 2021 | 11,345 |
| 2022 | 11,130 |
| 2023 | 10,815 |
| 2024 | 10,820 |
| 2025 | 10,800 |
| 2026 | 11,085 |
Questions about Lewisham
How many people claim unemployment-related benefits in Lewisham?
The ONS claimant count was 14,610 in August 2026, 6.8% of 16 to 64-year-olds. It counts benefit claims, not unemployment.
What is life expectancy in Lewisham?
83.6 years for women and 78.9 for men (2022 to 2024, ONS).
What is the population of Lewisham?
301,037 in mid-2025, the latest ONS mid-year estimate.
What is the average house price in Lewisham?
HM Land Registry's figure for July 2026 is £488,658.
How much is Band D council tax in Lewisham?
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government gives an average Band D bill of £2,237.33 for 2026-27.
What is the crime rate in Lewisham?
Home Office figures show 28,390 offences in the year to March 2026, or 94.3 per 1,000 people, not counting fraud.
What is the average salary in Lewisham?
Median pay for full-time employees living in Lewisham was £891.80 a week in April 2025 (£45,702 a year), from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
Who has power over Lewisham
Every body that makes decisions for Lewisham, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Parish, town and community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 3: Local councils
- Lewisham council spending, reserves, debt and council tax
- Lewisham in official figures this page
Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors
- Greater London Authority Greater London Authority
- Metropolitan Police Service police force
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust NHS
- NHS South East London Integrated Care Board NHS
- London in official figures
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
England has no devolved parliament of its own: its laws are made by the UK Parliament.
Level 6: National government
- Lewisham East: Janet Daby (Labour) MP
- Lewisham North: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour) MP
- Lewisham West and East Dulwich: Ellie Reeves (Labour) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
Each value above links to the official file or query it was read from, on 14 October 2026. What each figure measures.
- Recorded crime: Years before April 2020 come from the earlier Home Office table.
More on this area and these figures
- Council money: spending, reserves and debt
- Figures for the whole region: London
- UK figures: UK unemployment rate · Life expectancy at birth (UK) · UK population
- Other council areas in London: Greenwich · Havering · Hounslow · Lambeth · Southwark · Waltham Forest
Related questions
- What is the unemployment rate in my area?
- How healthy is my area?
- What is the population of my area?
- What is the average house price in my area?
- Which council am I in?
Figures checked 14 October 2026. Link moved or figure out of date? Tell us.