/** * https://gist.github.com/samthor/64b114e4a4f539915a95b91ffd340acc */ (function() { var check = document.createElement('script'); if (!('noModule' in check) && 'onbeforeload' in check) { var = false; document.addEventListener('beforeload', function(e) { if (e.target === check) { = true; } else if (!e.target.hasAttribute('nomodule') || !) { return; } e.preventDefault(); }, true); check.type = 'module'; check.src = '.'; document.head.appendChild(check); check.remove(); } }());

Health and housingPopulation change

The population of Great Britain increased rapidly during the 1800s, with cities like London seeing a sharp rise in the number of people living there. The rapid growth was accompanied by overcrowding and associated medical issues.

Part of HistoryChanging Britain (1760-1900)

Population change

  • In 1811 the population of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland was 18 million.
  • By 1851 this had increased to 27 million.
  • London had grown in size from around 1.5 million to 2.5 million people. At the same time the number of people emigrating from Britain grew hugely from 2,000 to 300,000.
  • By 1850 more than half the British population lived in towns and cities and worked in factories and mines.
  • Many cities such as Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester had grown in size.
Next page
Living conditions in cities

More guides on this topic

Related links