The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a London borough in the west side of central London, created in 1965 from the former boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea. It is an urban area and was named in the 2001 census as the most densely populated local authority in the United Kingdom, with a population of 158,919 at 13,244 per square kilometre (the land area is approximately 12 square kilometres). The borough is immediately to the west of the City of Westminster, which is at the heart of modern London, and itself contains a substantial number of city centre facilities such as major museums and universities (in "Albertopolis"), department stores like Harrods, and embassies. It also contains many of the most exclusive residential districts in London.
The borough includes the areas of:
Demographics of Kensington and Chelsea
According to the 2001 census the borough has a population of 158,919. It is 79% white, 4% Black African and 3% Black Caribbean. 44% of households are owner-occupiers.
As of October 2004, statistics released [1] by the Office for National Statistics show that life expectancy at birth for females in Kensington and Chelsea was 84.8 years in 2001-2003, the highest in the United Kingdom. Male life expectancy at birth for the same period was 79.8 years, third highest in the UK. The figures for Kensington and Chelsea during 1991-1993 were significantly lower: 73.0 years for males (ranking 301st in the nation) and 80.0 for females (ranking 129th).
Kensington & Chelsea's affluence is demonstrated by the fact that it has the largest number of high-earners (over £60,000) of any administrative region in the country - 16.6% [2]. It has the highest number of workers in the financial sector, and the lowest number working in the retail sector; it also has the most highly-qualified population, with 56% at the highest level of education [3].
Politics
As a result of its affluence, Kensington & Chelsea is considered to be one of the safest Conservative seats in the country [4]. Until 2005, Michael Portillo was the MP, with a majority of 31.3%.
Last updated: 05-17-2005 18:08:25