Figures released from the 2011 census show that Tower Hamlets is the fourth highest local authority in the country in terms of proportion of households with no cars or vans. Top is the City of London, followed by Islington then Hackney then Tower Hamlets. The proportion of households without vehicles is about 63%, allowing for my maths. That means that car owners in Tower Hamlets are a minority of the population.

We need to further research the figure from the 2001 census but we think that this is an increase of 3%. Of course in Tower Hamlets this non-car owning population includes those who choose not to own a car as well as those who can't afford to.

As to the usually resident population the census estimate was 254,100 residents (March 2011). This is a 29.6% increase on the 2001 census results.

Thanks to our consultant demographic historian Humphrey Southall.