III.

Population and Administration

The population of the county was estimated in 2001 to be 1,362,034. The principal towns are Liverpool (2001, 439,476) and St Helens (1996 estimate, 179,483). Other towns of note include Birkenhead (1991, 93,087), Bootle (1991, 65,454), Crosby (1991, 52,869), Formby (1991, 25,356), Kirkby (1991, 43,017), Southport (1991, 90,959), and Wallasey (2001, 60,895). Liverpool has city status. It is one of the most cosmopolitan of English cities, a reflection of its role as a port. However, one group has helped give it a very particular flavour, the great many immigrants from Ireland. Merseyside still has a large population of Irish descent, which explains the fact that the county has a higher proportion of Roman Catholics among its population than any other English county.

From 1975 to 1986, the senior administrative authority in Merseyside was the metropolitan county council (based in Liverpool). In 1986, the single-tier metropolitan district councils of Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, and Wirral were created and took over most of the responsibilities of the former county council.