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| 2 = Greater London
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|label2= |data2 = }}Greater London is the administrative area of London, England,WEB, London Government Act 1963 - Latest Available,weblink live,weblink 29 October 2021, 2021-10-12, legislation.gov.uk, which is coterminous with the London region. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a ceremonial county also called Greater London, and the City of London. The Greater London Authority is responsible for strategic local government across the region, and regular local government is the responsibility of the borough councils and the City of London Corporation. Greater London is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Hertfordshire to the north, Essex to the north-east, Kent to the south-east, Surrey to the south, and Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to the west.Greater London has a geographic area of {{Convert|1572|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and a population of 9,002,488. The ceremonial county of Greater London is only slightly smaller, with an area of {{Convert|1569|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and a population of 8,889,375. The area is almost entirely urbanised and contains the majority of the Greater London Built-up Area, which extends into Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Berkshire and in 2011 had a population of 9,787,426. None of the administrative area, region, or ceremonial county hold city status, but the boroughs of the City of London and City of Westminster do. The area was historically part of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire.The River Thames is the defining geographic feature of the area, entering it near Hampton in the west and flowing east before exiting downstream of Dagenham. Several tributaries of the Thames flow through the area, but are now mostly culverted and form part of London's sewerage system. The land immediately north and south of the river is flat, but rises to low hills further away, notably Hampstead Heath, Shooter's Hill, and Sydenham Hill. The area's highest point is Westerham Heights ({{Convert|245|m|ft|abbr=on}}), part of the North Downs. In the north-east the area contains part of Epping Forest, an ancient woodland.The City of London has had its own government since the Anglo-Saxon period. The first London-wide directly elected local government was the London County Council, established for the County of London in 1889, which covered the core of the urban area. In 1965 the county was abolished and replaced by Greater London, a two-tier administrative area governed by the Greater London Council, thirty-two London boroughs, and the City of London Corporation.WEB, London Government Act 1963 - Latest Available,weblink live,weblink 29 October 2021, 2021-10-12, legislation.gov.uk, The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, and its responsibilities largely taken over by the boroughs. The Greater London Authority was formed in 2000.

Administrative history

The term "Greater London" was used before it was established by statute in 1965. It referred to the Metropolitan Police District, the area served by the Metropolitan Water Board, the London Passenger Transport Area, and the area defined by the Registrar General as the "Greater London Conurbation".Vision of Britain -Census 1901: Preliminary Report {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022105952weblink |date=22 October 2012 }}Young, K. & Garside, P., Metropolitan London: Politics and Urban Change, (1982)Westergaard, J., The Structure of Greater London, London: Aspects of Change, (1961) The term was also used for the Greater London Arterial Road Programme, devised between 1913 and 1916, and the Greater London Planning Region, devised in 1927, which occupied {{convert|1856|sqmi|km2}} and included 9 million people.The Motorway Archive — The origins of the London Orbital Motorway (M25) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720023542weblink |date=20 July 2009 }}

Proposals to expand the County of London

File:Coat of Arms of London County Council.svg|100px|thumb|left|Arms of the former London County CouncilLondon County CouncilAlthough the London County Council (LCC) and County of London were created in 1889, the area did not cover all of London. London's built-up area, postal district, transport network and Metropolitan Police District, extended vastly beyond the boundaries of the new administrative county. Many of the LCC housing projects, including the vast Becontree Estates, were also outside its boundaries.Saint, A., Politics and the people of London: the London County Council (1889–1965), (1989) The LCC pressed for an alteration in its boundaries soon after the end of the First World War, noting that within the Metropolitan and City Police Districts there were 122 housing authorities. A Royal Commission on London Government was set up to consider the issue.London Local Government. The Times. 18 April 1921.Complex London: Big Task For Inquiry Commission. The Times. 5 August 1921. The LCC proposed a vast new area for Greater London, with a boundary somewhere between the Metropolitan Police District and the home counties.Greater London: Case for Central Authority: Area and Powers. The Times. 14 December 1921. Protests were made at the possibility of including Windsor, Slough and Eton in the authority.Windsor and Greater London: Protests Against Proposals. The Times. 27 December 1921 The commission made its report in 1923, rejecting the LCC's scheme. Two minority reports favoured change beyond the amalgamation of smaller urban districts, including both smaller borough councils and a central authority for strategic functions. The London Traffic Act 1924 was a result of the commission.Greater London: Report of Royal Commission. The Times. 22 March 1923. Reform of local government in the County of London and its environs was next considered by the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, chaired by Sir Edwin Herbert, which issued the 'Herbert Report' after three years of work in 1960. The commission applied three tests to decide if a community should form part of Greater London: how strong is the area as an independent centre in its own right; how strong are its ties to London; and how strongly is it drawn outwards towards the country rather than inwards towards London.

Greater London is created

File:Arms_of_the_Council_of_Greater_London.svg|100px|thumb|left|Arms of the former Greater London CouncilGreater London CouncilGreater London was created by the London Government Act 1963, which came into force on 1 April 1965, replacing the administrative counties of Middlesex and London, including the City of London, where the London County Council had limited powers, and absorbing parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. Greater London originally had a two-tier system of local government, with the Greater London Council (GLC) sharing power with the City of London Corporation (governing the small City of London) and the 32 London Borough councils. The GLC was abolished in 1986 by the Local Government Act 1985. Its functions were devolved to the City Corporation and the London Boroughs, with some functions transferred to central government and joint boards.'The Government of London: the struggle for reform' by Gerald Rhodes (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1970 {{ISBN|0-297-00031-4}} Greater London formed the London region in 1994.

Greater London Authority

File:Logo of the Greater London Authority (monochrome).png|thumb|left|100px|Logo of the Greater London AuthorityGreater London AuthorityThe 1998 London referendum established a public will to recreate an upper tier of government to cover the region. The Greater London Authority, London Assembly and the directly elected Mayor of London were created in 2000 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. In 2000, the outer boundary of the Metropolitan Police District was re-aligned to the Greater London boundary. The 2000 and 2004 mayoral elections were won by Ken Livingstone, who had been the final leader of the GLC. The 2008 and 2012 elections were won by Boris Johnson. The 2016 and 2021 elections were won by Sadiq Khan. London was covered by a single Parliamentary constituency in the European Parliament before Brexit.

Geography

(File:Greater London map with suburban towns.png|thumb|left|200px|Map of Greater London showing railway lines, primary roads, motorways, and suburban towns)(File:London Postal District.png|thumb|The London postal district in red in contrast to Greater London)Greater London includes the most closely associated parts of the Greater London Urban Area and their historic buffers and includes, in five boroughs, significant parts of the Metropolitan Green Belt which protects designated greenfield land in a similar way to the city's parks. The closest and furthest boundaries{{clarify|date=June 2016}} are with Essex to the northeast between Sewardstonebury next to Epping Forest and Chingford and with the Mar Dyke between Bulphan and North Ockendon. Greater London is also bounded by Hertfordshire to the north, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to the west, Kent to the southeast and Surrey to the south and southwest. The highest point is Westerham Heights, in the North Downs and on the boundary with Kent, at {{convert|245|m|ft|abbr=on}}.BOOK, Bathurst, David, 2012, Walking the county high points of England, Chichester, Summersdale, 978-1-84-953239-6, 82–85, Central government has implemented small boundary changes. The greatest were the 1969 transfers of Farleigh to Surrey and Knockholt to Kent.The Greater London, Kent and Surrey Order, 1968 Others have included exchange of two Thames islands with Surrey and adjustments during the 1990s to parts of the boundaries of three boroughs near the M25.The Greater London and Surrey Order, 1970 The only part of Greater London outside the motorway is North Ockendon, the furthest land unit from its centre. The majority of Greater London forms the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).The London postal district does not cover all of Greater London.NEWS,weblink London Government Act: Essex, Kent, Surrey and Middlesex 50 years on, BBC News, Laurence Cawley, 5 July 2013, 21 June 2018, 20 June 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink House of Commons Hansard Debates for 23 Jun 2009 (pt 0008), Publications.parliament.uk, 19 August 2017, 5 August 2017,weblink live, weblink{{dead link|date=March 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} Royal Mail (2004)

Governance

{{Politics of London}}

Greater London Authority

Greater London is under the strategic local governance of the Greater London Authority (GLA).Jones, B. et al., Politics UK, (2004) It consists of an elected assembly, the London Assembly, and an executive head, the Mayor of London.Arden Chambers Barristers, A Guide to the Greater London Authority Act, (2000)The current Mayor (not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London) is Sadiq Khan. He is scrutinised by the elected London Assembly, which may amend his annual budget (by two-thirds majority) but otherwise lacks the power to block his directives. The headquarters of the GLA, previously at City Hall in Southwark, moved to The Crystal in Newham in January 2022.WEB, Cox, Michael, 2021-11-30, 'London is moving east': City Hall's Crystal move confirmed for New Year,weblink 2021-12-02, Newham Recorder, en-UK, 2 December 2021,weblink live, The Mayor is responsible for Greater London's strategic planning and is required to produce or amend the London Plan each electoral cycle.

Mayor of London

The Mayor of London is a directly elected politician who, along with the London Assembly, is responsible for the strategic government of Greater London.

London Assembly

{{further|List of London Assembly constituencies}}For elections to the London Assembly, London is divided into 14 constituencies, each formed from two or three boroughs. The City of London forms part of the City and East constituency.

UK Parliament

{{further|List of Parliamentary constituencies in London}}London is divided into 73 Parliamentary borough constituencies, formed from the combined area of several wards from one or more boroughs. Typically a borough is covered by two or three constituencies.

Status

The London Region does not have city status granted by the Crown. The Cities of London and Westminster within it have received formal city status.Westminster City Council – One City — An Introduction {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522151159weblink |date=22 May 2009 }}{{NoteTag|Croydon and Southwark have made several failed applications for city status.}} Despite this, Greater London is commonly regarded as a city in the general senses of a conurbation and a municipality. A Lord Lieutenant of Greater London is appointed for its area, excluding the City of London. For the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997, this area is defined as a county.HMSO, Lieutenancies Act 1997 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030202144weblink |date=30 October 2007 }}, (1997)The term "London" usually refers to region or to the conurbation, but not often to the ancient, tiny City of London.Travers, T., The Politics of London, (2004)Mills, A., Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001), Oxford That small area is often referred to as "the City" or "the Square Mile" and it forms the main financial district. Archaically, the urbanised area of London was known as the Metropolis. In common usage, the terms "London" and "Greater London" are usually used interchangeably. Greater London is officially divided for some purposes, with varying definitions, into Inner London and Outer London. For some strategic planning purposes, it is divided into five sub-regions.{{clear}}

Local government

{{further|London boroughs}}Greater London is divided into 32 London Boroughs, each governed by a London Borough council. The City of London has a unique government dating back to the 12th century and is separate from the county of Greater London, although is still part of the region served by the Greater London Authority.All London Borough councils belong to the London Councils association. Three London Boroughs carry the honorific title of Royal Borough: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston, and Greenwich. Within the City of London are the liberties of Middle Temple and Inner Temple.{{Location map+|Greater London }}

Demography

{{multiple issues|{{more citations needed section|date=December 2019}}{{update section|date=April 2018}}}}{{TableLondonTop21BirthCountry}}{{wide image|Tolworth_tower_gigapixel_panorama.jpg|400px45%alt=View from the top of Tolworth tower over the local area}}With increasing industrialisation, London's population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was the most populated city in the world until overtaken by New York in 1925. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939. There were an estimated 7,753,600 official residents{{clarify|date=June 2016}} in mid-2009.WEB,weblink 2009 Round Demographic Projections for the London Plan, 2013-04-02, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130402060747weblink">weblink 2 April 2013, 2020-01-17, {{Failed verification|reason=These dates and these figures are not in the source|date=January 2020}}London's wider metropolitan area has a population of between 12 and 13 million depending on the definition of that area. According to Eurostat, London has been the most populous city and metropolitan area of the European Union.The region covers an area of 1,579 square kilometres. The population density is 4,761 people per square kilometre, more than ten times that of any other British region. In terms of population, London is the 25th largest city and the 17th largest metropolitan region in the world.{{when|date=June 2016}} It is ranked 4th in the world in the number of US dollar billionaires residing in the city. It ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and Moscow.

Ethnic groups

In the 2001 UK Census, 71.15% of the population classed their ethnic group as White, including White British (59.79%), White Irish (3.07%) or "Other White" (8.29%, mostly Greek-Cypriot, Italian, Polish and Portuguese). 12.09% classed themselves as British Asian, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and "Other Asian" (mostly Sri Lankan, Arab and other Southern Asian ethnicities). 10.91% classed themselves as Black British (around 6% as Black African, 4% as Black Caribbean, 0.84% as "Other Black"). 3.15% were of mixed race; 1.12% as Chinese; and 1.58% as other (mostly Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and other "British Orientals"). 21.8% of inhabitants were born outside the European Union. Irish people, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, number about 200,000, as do the Scots and Welsh combined.In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and more than 50 non-indigenous communities with a population of more than 10,000. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2006 London's foreign-born population was 2,288,000 (31%), up from 1,630,000 in 1997. The 2001 UK Census showed that 27.1% of the population were born outside the UK, and a slightly higher proportion were classed as Non-White.In the 2011 UK Census, 59.79% of the population classed their ethnic group as White, including White British (44.89%), White Irish (2.15%) or "Other White" (12.65%, mostly Greek-Cypriot, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Colombians and Portuguese). 18.49% classed themselves as British Asian, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and "Other Asian" (mostly Sri Lankan, Arab and other Southern Asian ethnicities). 13.32% classed themselves as Black British (7% as Black African, 4.22% as Black Caribbean, 2.08% as "Other Black"). 4.96% were of mixed race; and 3.44% as other (mostly Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and other "British Orientals").The table shows the top 21 countries of birth of residents in 2011.WEB, Greater London Authority – Summary of 'Country-of-Birth' in London, Greater London Authority,weblink 6 June 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080527193654weblink">weblink 27 May 2008, These figures do not give a fair indication of the total population of the specific ethnic groups associated with each country. For example, Londoners of Greek origin (from both Greece and Cyprus) number 300,000, since an organised Greek community has been established for nearly two centuries. The same can be said for Italian and French Londoners whose communities have been here for centuries (the French Embassy estimates there are between 300,000 and 400,000 French citizens living in the UK, with "a huge majority of them living in London").NEWS, London, France's sixth biggest city,weblink BBC News, 30 May 2012, 21 June 2018, 17 July 2018,weblink live, Though a Polish community has existed in London since the late-Middle Ages, it was not significant in the 2001 Census but has grown significantly since 2004, when Poland joined the European Union and by June 2010; London had 122,000 Polish residents.WEB,weblink Polish people in the UK, Office for National Statistics, 24 February 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110319085320weblink">weblink 19 March 2011, dead, dmy-all, The German-born population figure may be misleading, however, because it includes British nationals born to parents serving in the British armed forces in Germany.London has been a focus for immigration for centuries, whether as a place of safety or for economic reasons. Huguenots, Eastern European Jews, Cypriots and East African Asians are examples of the former; Irish, Bangladeshis and West Indians of the latter. The East End district around Spitalfields has been first home for several ethnic groups, which have subsequently moved elsewhere in London as they gained prosperity.{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"! rowspan="2"| Ethnic group! colspan="2"| 2001WEB,weblink 2001 census – theme tables, NOMIS, 5 September 2014, 20 November 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121120202650weblink">weblink live, ! colspan="2"| 2011WEB,weblink Ethnic Group by measures, NOMIS, 2 September 2014, 3 September 2014,weblink live, ! colspan="2"| 2021WEB,weblink Regional ethnic diversity, 22 December 2022, gov.uk, 11 July 2023, ! Number! %! Number! %! Number! % White: British 4,287,861 59.79% 3,669,284 44.89% 36.8% White: Irish 220,488 3.07% 175,974 2.15% rowspan=3|17.0% White: Gypsy or Irish TravellerNew category created for the 2011 census. colspan=2 {{n/a}} 8,196 0.10% White: Other 594,854 8.29% 1,033,981 12.65% White: subtotal 5,103,203 71.15% 4,887,435 59.79% 53.8% Asian or Asian British: Indian 436,993 6.09% 542,857 6.64% Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 142,749 1.99% 223,797 2.74% Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 153,893 2.15% 222,127 2.72% Asian or Asian British: Chinese{{#tag:refgroup="Note"}} 80,201 1.12% 124,250 1.52% Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 133,058 1.86% 398,515 4.88% Asian or Asian British: subtotal 946,894 13.20% 1,511,546 18.49% 20.7% Black or Black British: African 378,933 5.28% 573,931 7.02% Black or Black British: Caribbean 343,567 4.79% 344,597 4.22% Black or Black British: Other Black 60,349 0.84% 170,112 2.08% Black or Black British: subtotal 782,849 10.92% 1,088,640 13.32% 13.5% Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 70,928 0.99% 119,425 1.46% Mixed: White and Black African 34,182 0.48% 65,479 0.80% Mixed: White and Asian 59,944 0.84% 101,500 1.24% Mixed: Other Mixed 61,057 0.85% 118,875 1.45% Mixed: subtotal 226,111 3.15% 405,279 4.96% 5.7% Other: Arab colspan=2 {{n/a}} 106,020 1.30% Other: Any other ethnic group 113,034 1.58% 175,021 2.14% Other: subtotal 113,034 1.58% 281,041 3.44% 6.3% Total 7,172,091 100.00% 8,173,941 100.00%8,899,375 100.0%

Population

(File:Greater London population.png|400px|thumb|Greater London population from 1880 to 2016WEB,weblink Home - Office for National Statistics, www.ons.gov.uk, 15 July 2020, 19 December 1996,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/19961219001935weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink 2016 Mid-Year Estimates – London Datastore, 7 May 2019, 7 May 2019,weblink live, )The population of the current area of Greater London rose from about 1.1 million in 1801 (when only about 850,000 people were in the urban area, while 250,000 were living in villages and towns not yet part of London) to an estimated 8.6 million in 1939, but declined to 6.7 million in 1988, before starting to rebound in the 1990s.By 2006, the population had recovered to the level of 1970 (and the level of population in the 1920s). It has now surpassed the previous 1939 peak, and is over 9 million.Figures here are for Greater London in its 2001 boundaries. Figures before 1971 have been reconstructed by the Office for National Statistics based on past censuses to fit the 2001 boundaries. Figures from 1981 onward are mid-year estimates (revised in August 2007), which are more accurate than the censuses, known to underestimate the population of London.{| class="wikitable"| 1891| 5–6 April| 5,572,012| 1901| 31 March – 1 April| 6,506,954| 1911| 2–3 April| 7,160,525| 1921| 19–20 June| 7,386,848| 1931| 26–27 April| 8,110,480| 1939| Mid-year estimate| 8,615,245| 1951| 8–9 April| 8,196,978| 1961| 23–24 April| 7,992,616| 1965 Greater London formally created| 1971| 25–26 April| 7,452,520| 1981| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111065054/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=6802&MORE=Y, live, | 1988| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080627160547/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=6649&MORE=Y, live, | 1991| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111063247/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=8602&MORE=Y, live, | 2001| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20070111083447/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=8531&MORE=Y, live, | 2002| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111112530/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=9670&MORE=Y, live, | 2003| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111033101/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=9671&MORE=Y, live, | 2004| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111063252/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=9672&MORE=Y, live, | 2005| Mid-year estimateOFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS >DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ACCESS-DATE=22 AUGUST 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090111082621/HTTP://WWW.STATISTICS.GOV.UK/STATBASE/SSDATASET.ASP?VLNK=9673&MORE=Y, live, | 2006| Mid-year estimateURL=HTTP://WWW.ONS.GOV.UK/ONS/DCP171778_270487.PDF ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160224091554/HTTP://WWW.ONS.GOV.UK/ONS/DCP171778_270487.PDF ACCESS-DATE=16 JULY 2012, Office for National Statistics, | 2009| Mid-year estimate| 7,753,600| 2013| Mid-year estimateDATE=26 JUNE 2014 ARCHIVE-DATE=24 SEPTEMBER 2015 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | 2014| Mid-year estimateWEBSITE=ONS ACCESS-DATE=9 JULY 2015 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150924124600/HTTP://WWW.ONS.GOV.UK/ONS/REL/POP-ESTIMATE/POPULATION-ESTIMATES-FOR-UK--ENGLAND-AND-WALES--SCOTLAND-AND-NORTHERN-IRELAND/MID-2014/RFT---MID-2014-UK-POPULATION-ESTIMATES.ZIP, live, | 2016| Mid-year estimate| 8,798,957

Economy

{{see also|Economy of London}}This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added (GVA) of Inner London at current basic prices weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071201002538weblink">published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.{| class="wikitable"! Year! Regional Gross Value Added{{refn|group=note|name="fn_4"|Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.}}! Agriculture{{refn|group=note|name="fn_1"|Includes hunting and forestry.}}! Industry{{refn|group=note|name="fn_2"|Includes energy and construction.}}! Services{{refn|group=note|name="fn_3"|Includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured.}}| 1995| 64,616| 7| 8,147| 56,461| 2000| 92,330| 6| 10,094| 82,229| 2003| 112,090| 12| 10,154| 101,924Eurostat data shows the GDP of Inner London to be 232 billion euros in 2009WEB,weblink Regional GDP per capita in 2009: seven capital regions in the ten first places, 17 May 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120323192004weblink">weblink 23 March 2012, dmy-all, and per capita GDP of 78,000 euros.This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Outer London at current basic prices weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071201002538weblink">published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.{| class="wikitable"! Year! Regional Gross Value Added{{refn|group=note|name="fn_4"}}! Agriculture{{refn|group=note|name="fn_1"}}! Industry{{refn|group=note|name="fn_2"}}! Services{{refn|group=note|name="fn_3"}}| 1995| 44,160| 51| 10,801| 33,307| 2000| 60,304| 43| 12,529| 47,732| 2003| 69,420| 69| 13,081| 54,462Eurostat data shows the GDP of Outer London to be 103 billion euros in 2009 and per capita GDP of 21,460 euros.

Religion

{{See also|List of churches and cathedrals of London}}File:Westminster abbey west.jpg|thumb|Westminster Abbey. A World Heritage Site and location of the coronation of British monarchsBritish monarchsThe largest religious groupings are Christian (48.4%), Muslim (8.4%), Hindu (8.0%), Jewish (1.8%), Sikh (1.5%), and Buddhist (1.0%), alongside those of no religion (21.7%). The United Kingdom has traditionally been Christian, and London has a large number of churches, particularly in the city. St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres, while the clerical head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth.Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral, the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Wales. Religious practice in London is lower than in any other part of the UK or Western Europe and is around seven times lower than American averages. Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, weekly observance is low within that denomination, although in recent years church attendance, particularly at evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase.London is home to sizeable Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in Tower Hamlets and Newham; the most important Muslim buildings are the East London Mosque in Whitechapel and the London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park. London's large Hindu community is in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter containing one of Europe's largest Hindu temples, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London.Sikh communities are in East and West London, particularly Southall in the western borough of Ealing, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the capital. The majority of British Jews live in London, with significant communities in Stamford Hill (the most Orthodox Jewish area outside New York City and Israel) and St. John's Wood, Golders Green, and Edgware in North London.

Education

{{more citations needed section|date=May 2019}}Publicly funded education has been administered through 33 LEAs, which correspond to the City of London and the 32 London boroughs, since the 1990 enactment of the Education Reform Act 1988.Tomlinson, S., Education in a post-welfare society, (2001) From 1965 to 1990, 12 Inner London boroughs and the City of London were served by the Inner London Education Authority.The introduction of comprehensive schools, directed by Circular 10/65 in 1965, was mostly followed in Greater London; however, 19 grammar schools have been retained in some Outer London boroughs,BBC News – What future for grammar schools? {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011225743weblink |date=11 October 2007 }}. 15 February 2003. with Sutton having the most with five, followed by Bexley with four and others in five other boroughs. In these boroughs the state schools outperform the (relatively few) independent schools. In inner London, private schools always get the best results and are larger in number. At GCSE and A level, Outer London boroughs have broadly better results than Inner London boroughs.OFSTED, Improvements in London schools 2000–06 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605063517weblink |date=5 June 2007 }}, (2006)At GCSE, the best borough is Kingston upon Thames, closely followed by Sutton. Both boroughs have selective schools, and get the top two average GCSE results in England for LEAs. Next is Kensington and Chelsea, the third best in England, then Redbridge, Hammersmith and Fulham, Bromley, Barnet and Harrow. Only ten boroughs have GCSE results under the England average, and some inner-London boroughs have surprisingly good results considering where they lie on the scale of deprivation, e.g. Lambeth. Overall at GCSE in 2009, Greater London had the best results for regions of England. Greater London is generally a prosperous region, and prosperous areas generally have good GCSE results. The City of London has no state schools, just two independent schools. Haringey and Kensington and Chelsea have the most people that pass no GCSEs.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}At A-level, the average results for LEAs are disappointing compared to their good GCSE results. Although Kingston upon Thames gets the best GCSE results in England, at A-level it is not even above average. Sutton gets the best A-level results in London and in England. Three of the schools in the top four at A-level in London are in Sutton. It has only one independent school. The few other boroughs with above-average A-level results are Havering, Barnet, Bexley, Redbridge, and Ealing. The poor A-level results in many London boroughs is explained by the quantity of independent schools getting good A-level results. The state school system is often bypassed at age 16 by the more able pupils. Some London boroughs need more good sixth form colleges.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}The region's 34 further education colleges are funded through the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People's Learning Agency. Large colleges include Kingston College, Havering College of Further and Higher Education, and Croydon College.

Universities

{{see also|List of universities and higher education colleges in London}}File:UCL Portico Building.jpg|thumb|right|University College London, a founding constituent of the University of LondonUniversity of LondonThe University of London has 20 federated colleges and schools. The two main constituents of the University of London are (in order of total funding) University College London (UCL) and King's College London (KCL). Imperial College was part of the University of London until 2007, and is now an independent university. UCL, KCL and Imperial have very large research grants – some of the largest in England after Cambridge and Oxford, UCL and Imperial receive around £600 million each which is more than twice as much as any other in the region. The next largest institution by funding is Queen Mary University of London, followed by City, University of London. London is also home to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), one of the few solely social science institutions in the world. Together with UCL and Imperial, they make up the London vertex of the Golden Triangle universities, the other institutions being Oxford and Cambridge. The region has many medical schools although these are part of other institutions such as UCL, KCL and Imperial. The Royal Veterinary College is based in Camden (with another site in North Mymms in Hertfordshire).50% of students come from the region, and around 30% from other regions. Most students from other regions come from South East England, the East of England, and, to a lesser degree, South West England; the vast majority are from the south of England. Over 50% students native to the region stay in the region, with 15% going to South East England, 30% to either Scotland, Wales or the North East and around 5% go elsewhere. London is a draw for UK graduates from all over the UK.Over 70% of UK students to graduate from the University of London remain in London; just under 15% go to the South-East, and just over 5% go to the East of England and 10% elsewhere.

Twin cities

The GLA has twin and sister city agreements with the following cities.The Mayor of London's City Partnerships webpage {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235746weblink |date=27 September 2007 }}{| class="wikitable" "text-align:right;;"!colspan=2|Country!!City!!Region!!YearChina}}People's Republic of China>China| Shanghai| Shanghai MunicipalitySister City Relationships between China and the United Kingdom {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190311154351weblink |date=11 March 2019 }}, Chinese Embassy, 16 July 2015.China}}People's Republic of China>China| Beijing| Beijing MunicipalityBeijing, London to be sister cities {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215124238weblink |date=15 December 2018 }}", China Daily, 11 April 2006. Retrieved on 6 June 2006.France}}| France| Paris| ÃŽle-de-France| 2001Germany}}| Germany| Berlin| Berlin| 2000Russia}}| Russia| Moscow| Russian federal city| 2002United States}}| United States| New York CityNew York (state)>New YorkNEW YORK CITY>NYC.GOV ACCESS-DATE=3 FEBRUARY 2007 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20070114043209/HTTP://WWW.NYC.GOV/HTML/UNCCP/SCP/HTML/SC/LONDON_MAIN.SHTML, 14 January 2007, Japan}}| Japan| Tokyo| Tokyo| 2005Croatia}}| Croatia| Zagreb| City of Zagreb| 2009India}}| India| Mumbai| Maharashtra|

See also

Geographical

• Central London
• Inner London
• Outer London
• London boroughs
• Greater London Urban Area
• London commuter belt
• Metropolitan Police District
• M25 motorway

Political

• Mayor of London
• List of Lord Lieutenants of Greater London
• List of High Sheriffs of Greater London
• London Plan
• City of London

Historical

• Metropolitan Board of Works
• County of London
• Greater London Council

Others

• Global city
• Greater London Area War Risk Study
• Megacity
• Metropolis

Notes

{{NoteFoot}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Greater London}}

• Greater London Authority
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160221030626weblink">Greater London Online – London Community News, Information and Business Directory
• Greater London Business Community Directory{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=Jennica |fix-attempted=yes }}
• {{curlie|Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/London}}

{{Geographic Location|title = Neighbouring counties|Centre = Greater London|North = Hertfordshire|Northeast = Essex|East = EssexKent|Southeast = Kent|South = Surrey, Kent|Southwest = Surrey|West = Berkshire|Northwest = Buckinghamshire}}{{United Kingdom topics}}{{English regions}}{{Subdivisions of England}}{{England_counties}}{{Greater London}}{{London commuter belt}}{{London history}}{{Authority control}}