Introduction to Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is in the East Midlands region. It is the fourth largest county in England, covering 5,921 square kilometres. The county is classified as one of the most rural in England by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It is a two-tier authority area comprised of Lincolnshire County Council and seven districts:
- Boston Borough
- City of Lincoln
- East Lindsey
- North Kesteven
- South Holland
- South Kesteven
- West Lindsey
Lincolnshire's population has most recently been estimated to be 769,474 (mid-2023 population estimate). It is projected to grow by 10% by 2041. Most of Lincolnshire’s residents live in rural villages or small towns. The largest town is Lincoln, which has a population of around 98,000 people.
There is a significant fluctuation in the population, with over 15 million visitors to the county annually. This includes a student population in Lincoln of:
- around 20,000 during term time
- 4.4 million seasonally to the East Coast alone
Lincolnshire is home to a significant number of acting service personnel and armed forces veterans. As of the 2021 Census, over 45,000 armed forces veterans resided in the county.
Lincolnshire has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over than the national average. In 2021, the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over was recorded as 23.4%, with 30% expected to be over 65 by 2041. Nationally, the proportion of the population in the age group of 15 to 64 years is 64.1%. For Lincolnshire, this is lower at 61.0%. The remaining age group, those aged 14 and under, make up 17.4% of the population nationally.
For Lincolnshire, this is again lower at 15.6%. The 2021 census estimates Lincolnshire as having a 6.8% proportion of non-British population. This is compared with a national proportion of 10%. The proportion of non-British nationals in Boston Borough is higher at 20.9%.