Isle of Man Population 2023
The Isle of Man population is 84,640. This data is from the 2021 census, published in 2022.
The Isle of Man – or Mann as it is also known – is an island in the Irish Sea, midway between the islands of Ireland and Britain.
The Isle of Man has been populated since at least 6,500 BC. It has, at various times, been a part of Norway, the Kingdom of the Isles, Scotland and England. However, it never became a part of the United Kingdom.
Instead, in common with the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Mann is a self-governing British Crown Dependency – it is not formally a part of the United Kingdom, and has it’s own legislative assembly – the Tynwald.
Isle of Man Population Growth
| Year | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1726 | 14,426 | n/a |
| 1757 | 19,144 | 32.7% |
| 1784 | 24,924 | 30.2% |
| 1792 | 27,913 | 12.0% |
| 1821 | 40,081 | 43.6% |
| 1831 | 41,000 | 2.3% |
| 1841 | 47,975 | 17.0% |
| 1851 | 52,387 | 9.2% |
| 1861 | 52,469 | 0.2% |
| 1871 | 54,042 | 3.0% |
| 1881 | 53,558 | -0.9% |
| 1891 | 55,608 | 3.8% |
| 1901 | 54,752 | -1.5% |
| 1911 | 52,016 | -5.0% |
| 1921 | 60,284 | 15.9% |
| 1931 | 49,308 | -18.2% |
| 1939 | 52,029 | 5.5% |
| 1951 | 55,253 | 6.2% |
| 1961 | 48,133 | -12.9% |
| 1966 | 50,423 | 4.8% |
| 1971 | 54,581 | 8.2% |
| 1976 | 61,723 | 13.1% |
| 1981 | 66,101 | 7.1% |
| 1986 | 66,060 | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 71,267 | 7.9% |
| 1996 | 74,680 | 4.8% |
| 2001 | 78,266 | 4.8% |
| 2006 | 81,952 | 4.7% |
| 2011 | 85,716 | 4.6% |
| 2016 | 84,599 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 84,640 | 0.0% |
Figures for 1726-1792 are based on returns provided by the clergy on the Isle of Man at the time.
From 1821 onwards, data is from official censuses carried out either by the British government at the time or the Isle of Man government and show the total census population (residents plus visitors) rather than just the resident population.
Sources: 1726-1792 (isleofman.com – AW Moore, History of the Isle of Man 1900), 1821-1939 (gov.im – 1996 census report), 1951-2021 (gov.im – 2021 census report).
Isle of Man Demographics
This section contains key demographic data from the 2021 census.
Place of birth
Just under half (49.6%) of people living on the Isle of Man were born on the island. A further 38.2% were born in the UK and 1.9% born in the Republic of Ireland.
Ethnicity
The vast majority of Isle of Man residents are White (94.7%), followed by Asian (3.1%), Mixed (1.0%) and Black (0.6%). The proportion of the population that is non-White has increased since the 2011 census, while the White population has fallen.
| Ethnicity | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 79,628 | 94.7% |
| Asian | 2,618 | 3.1% |
| Black | 483 | 0.6% |
| Mixed | 836 | 1.0% |
| Other | 504 | 0.6% |
However, unsurprisingly and in contrast with the neighbouring UK and Ireland, a large proportion of people who report their ethnicity as white are White Manx, rather than White British or White Irish. The table below further breaks down the White population of Mann:
| Ethnicity | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| White – Manx | 40,555 | 48.2% |
| White – British | 32,319 | 38.4% |
| White – Irish | 2,272 | 2.7% |
| White – Irish Traveller | 21 | 0.0% |
| White – Other | 4,461 | 5.3% |
Religion
For the first time in 2021, people completing the census were asked about their religion. The responses showed that 54.7% of people were Christian and 43.8% of people had no religion.
This proportion of people with no religion significantly higher than in neighbouring countries, and perhaps reflects the wider demographics of the Isle of Man which is skewed towards high earning professionals.
| Religion | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Christian | 54.7% |
| No religion | 43.8% |
| Muslim | 0.5% |
| Buddhist | 0.5% |
| Hindu | 0.4% |
| Jewish | 0.2% |
Isle of Man Life Expectancy
According to the United Nations, life expectancy in the Isle of Man is 80.5 years. This is slightly lower than life expectancy in the neighbouring UK (80.7 years) Ireland (82.0 years).
Female life expectancy for women born on the Isle of Man is 82.5 years while life expectancy for males is lower at 78.6 years.
Life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past seven decades. In 1950, people born on the Isle of Man were expected to live to just 61.4 years, significantly lower than in both the UK and Ireland.
Isle of Man Language – Manx
Manx is a Gaelic language, one of several variants of the language spoken in the UK. There are no native speakers left on Man – Ned Maddrell, the last known native speaker died in 1974.
However, the language has nonetheless undergone a revival in recent years. This has been helped by recordings made by Ned Maddrell and other native speakers, plus a number of major works including the Bible that had previously been translated into Manx. Manx is increasingly visible around the island, for example on road signs, and is regularly taught in schools. There is even a Manx language primary school.
The 2021 census reports that there are 2,223 people with a knowledge of Manx – that is they are able to speak, write or read (or a combination of the three) in Manx.
Economy and GDP
The Isle of Man is widely regarded as a tax haven, with a top rate of income tax that is just 20% and very limited corporation tax – most businesses pay 0% for the first £500,000 of income and only 10% for income above that.
Just four sectors – eGaming, insurance, banking and tech – make up just over 50% of Mann’s GDP. Money laundering is a recognised problem which the government is working to address. Tourism is another major industry on Mann, with the Isle of Man TT race being its most famous tourist activity.
The World Bank reports that the Isle of Man GDP in 2019 was $7.32 billion. The Isle of Man Government reports that it’s 2018/19 income in GDP was £5,428,986.
These industries contribute to the Isle of Man having one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. According to the World Bank, in 2021 the Isle of Man GNI (Gross National Income) per capita was $83,920.
To put that in context, that places the Isle of Man fourth in the world rankings, after only Bermuda, Switzerland and Norway who make up 1st to 4th in the world rankings. And ahead of Luxembourg, Ireland and the United States which make up 5th-7th in the rankings.
Largest cities on the Isle of Man
Douglas is the only city on the Isle of Man. It was granted city status in 2022. Mann also has three towns, four villages and 16 parishes recorded in the 2021 census.
Douglas is the capital and largest city on Mann. In 2021 the population of Douglas was 26,677 people, a slight decrease from 2016 when its population was 26,997. Almost a third of people – 31.7% – on the Isle of Man live in Douglas.
The other three towns on the Isle of Man are Ramsay (population 8,288), Peel (population 5,710) and Castletown (population 3,206).
The village of Onchan is, despite its village status, actually the second largest settlement on Mann. In 2021, the population of Onchan 9,039. Port Erin (population 3,730) is also larger than the smallest of the Isle of Man’s four towns, as is the Parish of Braddon (population 3,404).
The table below lists all towns, villages and parishes on the Isle of Man.
| Settlement | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 26,677 | City |
| Onchan | 9,039 | Village |
| Ramsey | 8,288 | Town |
| Peel | 5,710 | Town |
| Port Erin | 3,730 | Village |
| Braddan | 3,404 | Parish |
| Castletown | 3,206 | Town |
| Malew | 2,367 | Parish |
| Marown | 2,200 | Parish |
| Port St Mary | 1,989 | Village |
| Arbory | 1,899 | Parish |
| Rushen | 1,661 | Parish |
| Laxey | 1,656 | Village |
| Lonan | 1,647 | Parish |
| Michael | 1,522 | Parish |
| Patrick | 1,487 | Parish |
| Andreas | 1,400 | Parish |
| Lezayre | 1,230 | Parish |
| German | 1,056 | Parish |
| Ballaugh | 1,041 | Parish |
| Maughold | 952 | Parish |
| Jurby | 780 | Parish |
| Santon | 749 | Parish |
| Bride | 359 | Parish |
