Bristol

Population

• ONS data as of 2023 total population is 482, 988 up by 44,014 since 2013 which represents a 10.4% increase over 10 years

• 28.4% of the population are non-white

• 43,667 students aged 18+ are registered as being in full time education according to ONS data (2023)

• Bristol is a proud City of Sanctuary welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers

Assets

Bristol ‘s host over 6,000 cultural and creative organisations and businesses that generate £496 million a year.

Bristol is both a UNESCO Learning City, promoting learning opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds and a UNESCO City of Film, a permanent global status that recognises the city’s achievements as a world leader in the field of film and moving image.

From Banksy to Brunel visitors come to see the iconic Clifton suspension bridge, the historic harbourside with its cultural and family attractions like the SS Great Britain.

The city celebrates black social history with projects like ‘Seven Saints of St Pauls’, a set of huge murals reaffirming the achievements of black Bristolians.

St Paul’s Carnival - Our regular celebration of African and Caribbean culture – in summer 2023 over 100,000 revelers celebrated in the heart of Bristol’s St Pauls neighborhood.

Economic

Bristol is one of the only net contributors to the exchequer and has grown faster than the regional average since 1998, recovering quickly from the pandemic.

Between 2004 and 2021, Bristol’s GVA nearly doubled, growing by 86 per cent, 31 percentage points more than England and Wales. Over this period, Bristol’s economy went from 1.3 percent of UK GDP to 1.5 per cent in 2022, becoming a more important part of the national economy.

As the city’s economic output has increased, so too has its number of jobs. The number of jobs in Bristol increased by 21 per cent since 2009 (when comparable jobs data becomes available), 4 per cent more than the rest of England and Wales.

Our economy boasts strengths in high tech, zero carbon, creative and professional services and is one of the UK’s fastest growing and most globally significant digital and tech clusters; with expertise including life sciences, cyber security, quantum, robotics.

Highest density of FinTech start-ups and scaleups outside of London.

Current highlights

Signature projects that are underway or recently completed:

• In the Autumn of 2026, the New University of Bristol Campus will open bringing innovation and skills to the area making new connections with industry, business and local people
• Bristol Temple Quarter is one of the UK’s biggest city Centre regeneration opportunities the investment zone will see over 10’000 new homes built over 135 hectares of land. The investment amounts to a £1.6bn boost to the regional economy with a strong focus on inclusive growth, creating jobs, skills and opportunities for local people