SafekipediaSouth East England
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
South East England is one of the nine regions of England. It includes nine counties: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and West Sussex.
This area is the third-largest in England and has many people living there. It is very close to London, which has helped it grow and become a strong economic center. The region has the largest economy in the UK outside of London and is home to Gatwick Airport, the country’s second busiest airport. The region also has beautiful coastlines along the English Channel, with ferry routes to Europe.
South East England is rich in history and landmarks. Important cities include Brighton and Hove, Canterbury, Chichester, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Winchester. Famous sites such as Windsor Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, the White Cliffs of Dover, and the New Forest National Park are all located here. The River Thames flows through the region, and it contains several areas of natural beauty like the South Downs and the Chiltern Hills. The University of Oxford, the oldest English-speaking university in the world, is also found in this region.
History
The Meonhill Vineyard near Old Winchester Hill in Hampshire shows where the Romano-British grew grapes.
Much of the Battle of Britain happened above this area, especially in Kent. RAF Bomber Command was at High Wycombe. Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire was a key place for solving secret codes during World War II. The Colossus computer, the world’s first, started working there in 1944.
John Wallis of Kent created the symbol for infinity in 1656. Sir David N. Payne at the University of Southampton made the erbium-doped fibre amplifier in the 1980s, which helped the internet. Henry Moseley at Oxford discovered important ideas about elements. Carbon fibre was invented in 1963 at Farnborough.
Donald Watts Davies invented packet switching in the late 1960s, which helped create the ARPANET, an early version of the Internet. Alec Reeves invented pulse-code modulation in 1937 for digital audio recordings. Sir John Herschel from Kent created the word “photography” in 1839 and found the first way to fix photographs.
Geography
The highest point in South East England is Walbury Hill in Berkshire. It stands at 297 meters tall. The area is home to Britain's tallest native tree, a 144-foot beech at Devil's Dyke in Newtimber Woods in West Sussex.
The region has many cities and towns such as Aldershot, Ashford, Aylesbury, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Brighton and Hove, Canterbury, Chichester, Crawley, Eastbourne, Farnborough, Gosport, Guildford, Hastings, High Wycombe, Margate, Maidstone, Medway, Milton Keynes, Newport, Oxford, Portsmouth, Ramsgate, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Winchester, Woking and Worthing.
Demographics
Further information: List of districts in South East England by population
The South East England region has many people. In 2011, about 8.6 million people lived there. Big places include South Hampshire, Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton, and Reading. Many people living close to London are part of the Greater London Urban Area.
Most people in the South East are White British. In 2021, about 79% of people are from this group. Other groups include Other White, British Asian, Mixed Race, Black British, and other groups.
| Census | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 962,350 | |
| 1811 | 1,072,563 |  10.3 |
| 1821 | 1,239,883 | 13.5 |
| 1831 | 1,378,755 | 10.1 |
| 1841 | 1,561,792 | 11.7 |
| 1851 | 1,687,558 | 7.5 |
| 1861 | 1,957,208 | 13.8 |
| 1871 | 2,226,880 | 12.1 |
| 1881 | 2,496,534 | 10.8 |
| 1891 | 2,776,842 | 10.1 |
| 1901 | 3,093,606 | 10.2 |
| 1911 | 3,472,091 | 10.9 |
| 1921 | 3,718,228 | 6.6 |
| 1931 | 3,995,122 | 6.9 |
| 1941a | 4,443,002 | 10.1 |
| 1951 | 4,976,340 | 10.7 |
| 1961 | 5,738,844 | 13.3 |
| 1971 | 6,718,771 | 14.6 |
| 1981 | 7,025,593 | 4.4 |
| 1991 | 7,677,641 | 8.5 |
| 2001 | 8,000,550 | 4.0 |
| 2011 | 8,634,750 | 7.9 |
| 2021 | 9,278,063 | 7.4 |
| City/town | Ceremonial county | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| City/town (2019) | Conurbation (2011) | ||
| Brighton and Hove | East Sussex | 290,885 | 474,485 |
| Milton Keynes | Buckinghamshire | 269,457 | 229,941 |
| Southampton | Hampshire | 252,520 | 855,569 |
| Portsmouth | Hampshire | 214,905 | |
| Slough | Berkshire | 164,455 | 163,777 |
| Reading | Berkshire | 161,780 | 318,014 |
| Oxford | Oxfordshire | 152,457 | 171,380 |
| High Wycombe | Buckinghamshire | 125,257 | 133,204 |
| Basingstoke | Hampshire | 113,776 | 107,642 |
| Maidstone | Kent | 113,137 | 107,627 |
| Crawley | West Sussex | 112,409 | 180,508 |
| Worthing | West Sussex | 110,570 | |
| Gillingham | Kent | 104,157 | 243,931 |
| Eastbourne | East Sussex | 103,745 | 118,219 |
| Ethnic group | 1981 estimates | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 6,691,186 | 97.2% | 7,271,256 | 96.9% | 7,608,989 | 95.10% | 7,827,820 | 90.65% | 8,009,380 | 86.2% |
| White: British | – | – | – | – | 7,304,678 | 91.3% | 7,358,998 | 85.22% | 7,315,058 | 78.8% |
| White: Irish | – | – | – | – | 82,405 | 1.02% | 73,571 | 0.9% | 78,219 | 0.8% |
| White: Irish Traveller/Gypsy | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14,542 | 0.2% | 16,748 | 0.2% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12,786 | 0.1% |
| White: Other | – | – | – | – | 221,906 | 2.77% | 380,709 | 4.4% | 586,569 | 6.3% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | – | – | 149,198 | 2% | 219,704 | 2.74% | 452,042 | 5.23% | 650,545 | 7% |
| Asian or Asian British: Indian | – | – | 64,888 | 0.9% | 89,219 | 1.1% | 152,132 | 1.76% | 241,537 | 2.6% |
| Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 35,946 | 0.5% | 58,520 | 99,246 | 145,311 | 1.6% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 8,546 | 0.1% | 15,358 | 27,951 | 39,881 | 0.4% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Chinese | – | – | 18,226 | 0.2% | 33,089 | 53,061 | 64,329 | 0.7% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Asian Other | – | – | 21,592 | 0.3% | 23,518 | 119,652 | 1.38% | 159,487 | 1.7% | |
| Black or Black British: Total | – | – | 46,636 | 0.6% | 56,914 | 0.71% | 136,013 | 1.57% | 221,584 | 2.4% |
| Black or Black British: African | – | – | 9,588 | 0.1% | 24,582 | 87,345 | 150,540 | 1.6% | ||
| Black or Black British: Caribbean | – | – | 23,633 | 0.3% | 27,452 | 34,225 | 43,523 | 0.5% | ||
| Black or Black British: Other | – | – | 13,415 | 0.2% | 4,880 | 14,443 | 27,521 | 0.3% | ||
| Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | 85,779 | 1.07% | 167,764 | 1.94% | 260,871 | 2.8% |
| Mixed: White and Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 23,742 | 0.3% | 45,980 | 62,087 | 0.7% | |
| Mixed: White and African | – | – | – | – | 9,493 | 0.1% | 22,825 | 38,633 | 0.4% | |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | 29,977 | 0.4% | 58,764 | 88,106 | 0.9% | |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | 22,567 | 0.3% | 40,195 | 72,045 | 0.8% | |
| Other: Total | – | – | 32,964 | 0.4% | 29,259 | 0.36% | 51,111 | 0.59% | 135,683 | 1.4% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19,363 | 29,574 | 0.3% | |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | 32,964 | 0.4% | 29,259 | 0.36% | 31,748 | 0.36% | 106,109 | 1.1% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | 191,229 | 2.8% | 228,798 | 3.1% | 391,656 | 4.9% | 806,930 | 9.4% | 1,268,683 | 13.8% |
| Total | 6,882,415 | 100% | 7,500,054 | 100% | 8,000,645 | 100% | 8,634,750 | 100% | 9,278,063 | 100% |
| Religion | 2021 | 2011 | 2001 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Christianity | 4,313,319 | 46.5% | 5,160,128 | 59.8% | 5,823,025 | 72.8% |
| Islam | 309,067 | 3.3% | 201,651 | 2.3% | 108,725 | 1.4% |
| Hinduism | 154,748 | 1.7% | 92,499 | 1.1% | 44,575 | 0.6% |
| Sikhism | 74,348 | 0.8% | 54,941 | 0.6% | 37,735 | 0.5% |
| Buddhism | 54,433 | 0.6% | 43,946 | 0.5% | 22,005 | 0.3% |
| Judaism | 18,682 | 0.2% | 17,761 | 0.2% | 19,037 | 0.2% |
| Other religion | 54,098 | 0.6% | 39,672 | 0.5% | 28,668 | 0.4% |
| No religion | 3,733,094 | 40.2% | 2,388,286 | 27.7% | 1,319,979 | 16.5% |
| Religion not stated | 566,279 | 6.1% | 635,866 | 7.4% | 596,896 | 7.5% |
| Total population | 9,278,068 | 100% | 8,634,750 | 100% | 8,000,645 | 100% |
Governance and politics
South East England is a region used for counting and planning. It does not have its own elected government. From 1998 to 2010, local councils sent people to the South East England Regional Assembly. This was later replaced by South East England Councils.
Usually, this area has voted for the Conservative party. But in the 2024 election, votes were almost the same for the Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrats parties. Some places, like Oxford and Brighton Pavilion, have voted for different parties in the past.
| Date of election | Electorate | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Reform/UKIP | Green | Others | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | 4,351,000 | 30.6% | 24.5% | 21.9% | 14.0% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 6.5% |
| 12 December 2019 | 4,652,810 | 54.0% | 22.1% | 18.2% | 0.2% | 3.9% | 1.5% | 31.9% |
| 8 June 2017 | 4,635,741 | 54.8% | 28.7% | 10.6% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 0.5% | 26.1% |
| 7 May 2015 | 4,394,400 | 50.8% | 18.3% | 9.4% | 14.7% | 5.2% | 1.5% | 32.5% |
| 6 May 2010 | 4,294,240 | 49.9% | 16.2% | 26.2% | 4.1% | 1.4% | 2.2% | 23.7% |
| 5 May 2005 | 3,901,598 | 45.0% | 24.4% | 25.4% | 3.1% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 19.6% |
| 7 June 2001 | 5,187,711 | 42.6% | 31.7% | 21.6% | 4.1% | 10.9% | ||
| 1 May 1997 | 4,341,608 | 41.9% | 29.1% | 23.3% | 5.7% | 12.8% | ||
| 9 April 1992 | 6,455,871 | 54.5% | 20.8% | 23.3% | 1.4% | 31.2% | ||
| 11 July 1987 | 6,087,487 | 55.6% | 16.8% | 27.2% | 0.5% | 28.4% | ||
| 9 June 1983 | 9,101,444 | 50.5% | 21.1%. | 27.1% | 1.0% | 23.4% | ||
Education
The South East England region has different school systems. Some areas, like Buckinghamshire, Medway, Kent, and Slough, have grammar schools and secondary modern schools. Other areas have comprehensive schools.
The region has many famous universities. The University of Oxford is very well known for its learning. Other universities in the region include the University of Brighton, University of Kent, University of Portsmouth, University of Southampton, and University of Surrey, among others. These universities attract students from all over the UK and other countries.
Economy
The South East of England has a strong economy and is the second largest in the UK after London. People in this area usually earn more than the UK average.
Many technology companies have offices in places like Surrey and Berkshire. Big names such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Vodafone have their UK headquarters here. The area around Gatwick Airport is also a center for high-tech industries.
| South-East Region | GDP € | GDP per capita € (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire | €45.2 bn | €51,500 (includes Borough of Reading) |
| Buckinghamshire | €18.6 bn | €36,100 (excludes City of Milton Keynes UA) |
| Oxfordshire | €25.3 bn | €38,000 |
| Milton Keynes | €12.8 bn | €50,300 |
| Brighton & Hove | €8.4 bn | €30,400 |
| East Sussex CC | €11.1 bn | €20,800 |
| Surrey | €46.6 bn | €40,500 |
| West Sussex | €24.6 bn | €32,000 |
| Portsmouth | €6.8 bn | €33,000 |
| Southampton | €7.4 bn | €30,700 |
| Hampshire CC | €44.6 bn | €33,400 (excludes Portsmouth and Southampton) |
| Isle of Wight | €2.8 bn | €20,300 |
| Medway | €5.6 bn | €20,900 |
| Kent CC | €38.6 bn | €25,900 |
| TOTAL | €300.5 bn | €34.200 |
Transport
The main roads in South East England include the M1, the M40, and the M4. Other important roads are the M2 motorway, M20, M23, and M3. All these roads connect to the M25.
The biggest airport is Gatwick Airport. Other airports are Kent International Airport, Shoreham Airport, and Southampton Airport. Heathrow Airport in Greater London also serves the area. Important train lines include the Great Western Main Line, the South Eastern Main Line, and High Speed 1 which connects to the Channel Tunnel. The region has busy ports such as the Port of Dover with ferry services to France.
Economic activity by county
Berkshire
Berkshire has many important companies. These include Nvidia UK, which makes parts for smartphones, and The Range, a shop that sells furniture and home items. Other big businesses are PepsiCo, Porsche Cars Great Britain, and Harley-Davidson UK. The Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston helps keep nuclear energy safe.
Buckinghamshire
High Wycombe is well-known for making furniture. Companies like Hyundai UK and Tetra Pak UK are based there. Milton Keynes has many big companies, such as Santander UK operations and the Home Retail Group. The Home Retail Group owns Argos and Homebase.
Hampshire
Aldershot is a town where many soldiers live and work, and Sandhurst is nearby. Farnborough is a place where airplane companies work. Southampton has the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Carnival Corporation & plc, which runs the world's biggest cruise ships.
Kent
Bluewater in Greenhithe is one of the biggest shopping places in the UK. The Shepherd Neame Brewery in Faversham has been making beer for a very long time. Kent grows most of the UK's Bramley apples.
Oxfordshire
Oxford is an important place for learning and technology. Oxford University Press is based there, and BMW makes Mini cars at its factory. The Joint European Torus project in Culham is working on fusion power technology.
Surrey
Guildford is a good place for businesses. Companies like Allianz Insurance and Colgate-Palmolive have their main offices there. Woking is where McLaren and McLaren Automotive are located. The area also has many technology and car companies.
Sussex
Horsham is home to the RSA Insurance Group and Campina UK. Crawley is a busy place for businesses, with companies like Virgin Atlantic and Nestlé UK. Brighton and Hove have many technology and service companies, including American Express UK.
Culture
The culture of South East England is shaped by its beautiful landscapes and its role as a home for people who work in London. Many creative industries are based there.
Many famous stories and characters come from this area. For example, the forest in East Sussex inspired the setting for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Alice in Wonderland’s inspiration lived in Oxford and later in Hampshire. Other well-known characters like Mr. Men, Rupert Bear, and Dan Dare also have connections to places in South East England. The region has been important for music, with composers and writers living in places like West Sussex and Oxfordshire. Local foods such as Pimm’s, Banoffee pie, and the Granny Smith apple all originated here.
Images
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