List of two-tier counties of England

For a list including metropolitan counties and unitary authorities, see List of ceremonial counties of England.

This is a list of two-tier counties of England by population.

It includes those non-metropolitan counties (also known as shire counties) with a two-tier county council structure and does not include metropolitan counties or unitary authorities.

Where a unitary authority has separated from a shire county the population of the unitary authority is counted elsewhere. For example, the population of Blackpool is not included in Lancashire in this table.

The figures are mid-year estimates for 2022 from the Office for National Statistics.^[1]

Densities are calculated from population and area values.

County	Population	Area (in km2)	Density (people/km2)
Kent	1,593,191	3,544	449
Essex	1,519,509	3,458	439
Hampshire	1,416,808	3,678	385
Lancashire	1,253,154	2,894	433
Surrey	1,214,540	1,663	731
Hertfordshire	1,204,588	1,643	733
Norfolk	925,299	5,384	172
Staffordshire	886,284	2,620	338
West Sussex	892,336	1,991	448
Nottinghamshire	834,822	2,085	400
Derbyshire	803,464	2,547	315
Devon	826,319	6,564	126
Suffolk	768,555	3,800	202
Lincolnshire	775,524	5,937	131
Leicestershire	722,155	2,083	347
Oxfordshire	738,276	2,605	283
Cambridgeshire	689,109	3,046	226
Gloucestershire	652,409	2,653	246
Worcestershire	609,216	1,741	350
Warwickshire	607,604	1,975	308
East Sussex	550,720	1,709	322