Oldham’s population swells by 7,000

OLDHAM’S population has risen by more than 7,000 in the past 10 years, according to the 2011 Census.

Last year there were 224,897 people living in Oldham — 110,155 men and 114,742 women.

Almost 60 per cent claimed to be Christian, while 17.7 per cent were Muslim and 16.1 per cent without affiliation.

More than three quarters of locals are white British, 10 per cent Pakistani and 7.3 per cent Bangladeshi — the third highest concentration in the country.

There are 89,703 households in the borough, 11,466 over 65s live on their own and Oldham is the 17th-lowest local authority in the country for the number of civil partnerships - 217.

The average age of the local population is 37. More than 8,000 lone parents live in Oldham, 43 per cent of them unemployed.