Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they take account of the increasing number of properties used for holiday lets when estimating the size of the population.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Roberts of Llandudno

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

14 July 2025

Dear Lord Roberts of Llandudno,

As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how the increasing number of properties used for holiday lets is taken into account when estimating the size of the population (HL9240).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) currently estimates the UK population using a combination of census data, administrative records, and statistical modelling. This is an estimate of people (not properties), and property information does not form part of the approach to producing the estimate.

Analysis of Census 2021 data shows the areas where second addresses are used as holiday homes across England and Wales[1].

You may also be interested in analysis produced by our housing analysis team titled Comparing empty home statistics in England and Wales[2] which included holidays lets and caravan parks.

Yours sincerely,

Emma Rourke

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/numberofvacantandsecondhomesenglandandwales/census2021

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/comparingemptyhomestatisticsinenglandandwales/2024-08-09