What makes our borough unique
Kensington and Chelsea is London’s smallest borough by area and one of the most recognised places in the world.
Between Exhibition Road, Portobello Market, Notting Hill Carnival, the King's Road and Kensington Palace, millions of people come here every year. Our high streets and markets are known nationally and internationally.
This is a diverse and vibrant borough with local neighbourhoods that have their own character, history and way of doing things. People are loyal to their particular corner of it. 91% feel they belong in their local area.
This is not a coincidence. It's the result of decades of work by proud communities, businesses large and small, voluntary organisations, faith groups and people who choose to care about where they live. That is what we are building on.
A small borough with a global population
- 144,500 residents, and around 250,000 more here on a typical day
- 13% are children under 16 and 15% are residents aged 65 and over
- 36% are from a Black, Asian or other ethnically diverse background
- around 25% do not use English as their main language
- 89% say people from different backgrounds get on well together
A green borough
- more than 30 parks and open spaces, 10 with Green Flag status
- 89% of residents are satisfied with our parks and green spaces
- 632 public electric vehicle charge points per 100,000 residents
- three-quarters of our wildlife sites are actively managed for nature
- air pollution has halved over the past 15 years
A borough that works
- 968 businesses for every 10,000 residents
- 1,615 new enterprises started in 2024
- median full-time earnings of £1,023 a week
- 68% of working-age residents qualified to degree level or above
- 84% of 18 to 24 year olds in full-time education or employment
A place where services work well
- 74% of pupils meet the expected standard at Key Stage 2
- all school meet the expected standard or above in Ofsted’s new framework
- Children's Services has been rated Outstanding three times in a row
- Adult social care is rated Outstanding, with the fourth highest satisfaction rate in London
- 64% of homelessness cases prevented or relieved
A place residents value
- 96% are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
- 96% feel safe during the day
- 87% are satisfied with waste collection
- 85% are satisfied with street cleaning