ENGLAND AND WALES: POPULATION OF URBAN
AND RURAL DISTRICTS RESPECTIVELY
| Census of | Urban Districts. | Rural Districts. |
| 1891 | 21,745,286 | 7,257,239 |
| 1901 | 25,058,355 | 7,469,448 |
Thus the urban population increased by 15.2 per cent., while the rural population increased by 2.9 per cent.
Many of the so-called "Urban" Districts, however, are quite rural in character, being often small towns dependent as business centres upon the agricultural areas in which they are situated. In 1901 there were 215 Urban Districts with populations below 3,000; 211 with populations between 3,000 and 5,000; and 260 with populations between 5,000 and 10,000.[52]
Having regard to these considerations the following figures are arrived at:
(1) Classing with the Rural Districts all those Urban Districts which had in 1901 populations below 10,000 we get:
| Urban Population. | Rural Population. | |
| 1891 | 18,964,882 | 10,037,643 |
| 1901 | 21,959,998 | 10,567,845 |
This gives an urban increase of 15.8 per cent. and a rural increase of 5.3 per cent.
(2) Classing with the Rural Districts those Urban Districts which had in 1901 populations below 5,000 we get:
| Urban Population. | Rural Population. | |
| 1891 | 20,576,448 | 8,426,077 |
| 1901 | 23,803,714 | 8,724,129 |