The report following the 2021 national census was recently released.
The data shows that some areas of Merseyside are among the slowest growing in the north west in terms of population. The borough of St Helens has increased from 175,308 people in 2011 to 183,200 people in 2021.
That increase of 4.5%, or almost 8,000 people ranks as the 13th lowest increase in the north west. Of these, 16.7% were under 15, 62.8% were aged 15 to 64, and 20.5 per cent were aged 65-plus.
READ MORE: Stranger in Primark holds nan as she sobs in busy queue
The overall population of England increased by nearly 3.5 million to 56,489,800 from 2011 to 2021.
Knowsley is the Merseyside area that has seen the most growth over the past decade, with the population growing by 5.9% from 145,900 in 2011 to 154,500 in 2021. Despite this, the area is still below the national average of growth found in the census.
Rather surprisingly, Liverpool was among the lowest on the list in terms of population growth. Increasing by 4.2%, from around 466,400 in 2011 to 486,100 in 2021
The largest population increases in the North West have been seen in Salford and Chorley, where the populations have grown by 15.4% and 9.9%, respectively. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also shows that the average proportion of over-65s has increased by 3.6 percentage points in the last 40 years.
However, the proportion of young adults across England and Wales has fallen by 5% since 1981.
READ NEXT
'Ahead of its time' family restaurant once served up bear on its menu
Masked men armed with weapons storm pub 'looking for someone'
Latest St Helens news from the Liverpool ECHO
Live updates as firefighters tackle blaze at house on Liverpool street
